The Journey of Hester and Toothless
by Arwen the Storyteller
Summary: Hester Haddock wants more than anything to prove that she is more than just a runt who they can mistreat and call "Hicca,". With encouragement from her best friends Garsir and Sigmund, she takes her chance and shoots down a Night Fury. But upon forming a close bond with it and discovering she has an ability to understand dragons, she realises that they could be the key to peace.
1. This is Berk

**This is Berk:**

Far, far, far away in the middle of the open ocean was an island surrounded by fog. On this island was a huge Viking village with huts everywhere, a large stone hall carved into the mountain and fields with loads of sheep. Out at sea not too fast from the coast were two giant Viking statues with fire continuously burning in the mouths.

"_This is Berk. Its twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death_. _It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. My village. In a word, sturdy. And it's been here for seven generations, but, every single building is new. We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests._ _You see, most places have mice or mosquitoes. We have..."_

A young girl slammed the hut of her door closed when a dragon fired at her. She hide behind it with fear of dying.

"_Dragons," _

Hester had medium length hair flowing down her back with a clip holding part of it back and beautiful green eyes. She wore a long-sleeved green cotton tunic with a brown leather skirt with a darker brown belt around the waist. It had a silver dragon buckle in the center. She also wore darker green leggings with brown furry boots. To complete her look, she a short sleeveless cardigan of brown fur, leather brown bands on her wrists and a silver pendent with an emerald engraved in the center hanging from her neck that belonged to her deceased mother Valka.

"_Most people would leave. Not us. We're Vikings. We have, stubbornness issues. My name' is Hester Horrendous Haddock. But loads of Vikings call me 'Hicca'. I literally hate it because it's the female name for Hiccup which the name used for Vikings that are born weak and slim. I seriously hate my life," _

Hester dashed out of the house dodging several Vikings that were more focused on dodging dragon blasts and trying to catch dragons. She suddenly tripped and fell on her back. She screamed when a male Viking towered over her and roared in her face.

"ARGGGHHHHH! Mornin'!" Ack shouted before running off.

Hester grunted in anger as she got up. She started sprinting across the village, running past more Vikings carrying weapons.

"What are you doing here?!" a Viking demanded.

A female Viking shouted: "Get inside!"

Hester ignored their shouting. She was used to it as she would hear it every day and every night of her life.

"What are you doing' out?"" Vikings continued to shout at her.

Another female Viking named Phlegma shouted "Get back inside!"

Hester was about to run in the path of a dragon fire blasts when she was grabbed by the collar of her shirt. The huge Viking, stronger and bigger that she was being gripped by Stoick the Vast.

"Hester?! What is he doing out aga-?! What are you doing out?! Get inside!" he let her go and pushed her forwards much to her anger and irritation.

"_That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of the tribe. They say that when he was a baby, he popped a dragon's head clean off of its shoulders." _

Stoick saw a Nadder flying away so he grabbed a wooden cart and threw it at the dragon, knocking it out mid-air. It fell to the ground.

"_Do I believe it? Yes, I do."_

"What have we got?" Stoick asked one his men.

Starkard the Viking answered: "We've got Gronkles, Nadders, Zipplebacks. Oh, and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare,"

There was a huge blast nearby so Starkard protected himself with a shield. A piece of burning ember fell onto Stoick's shoulder.

"Any Night Furies?" Stoick questioned about the most feared of dragons that attacked his island.

"None so far."

_Stoick casually brushed the burning ember off his shoulder pad as he answered: "Good," _

Hester continued running through the village when she passed by a Viking that shouted: "Hoist the torches!"

Two enormous torches were lit and then raised up into the air. The dragons flying above the village swarmed around the boiling torches to avoid them.

Hester finally made it to the blacksmiths. She was greeted by a Viking with scruffy brown and yellow clothing, a helmet with long horns, blue eyes and scruffy blond hair with a match tied up beard.

"Ah! Nice of you to join the party! I thought you'd been carried off!" Gobber greeted sarcastically as he was hammering a weapon.

"What, who me? Nah, come on! I'm waaaay too muscular for their taste." Hester answered as she quickly tied an apron around her neck. "They wouldn't know what to do with all..." she gestured to her skinning, slim body_. "_...this."

"Well, they need toothpicks, don't they?" another voice joined into their conversation as he entered the armor. He looked very similar to Gobber.

"Oh, hardy, ha," Hester replied. "You surely know how to joke, Garsir,"

She started having trouble carrying a hammer. She nearly tripped over from its weight but another pair of hands saved her. "Here let me help you," the boy who helped her said.

Hester turned to another sweet, kind boy and smiled in gratitude. "Thank you,"

"_The meat-head with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well... __littler__. His son Garsir has been my best friend since I was little. Not only him but also Sigmund Ingerman. Like Garsir, he is sweet and kind and doesn't judge me for who I am. They are the only ones in my village besides Gobber who respect me and like me for who I am. Like me, they have been Gobber's apprentices," _

Garsir had short shaggy dirty blond hair with blue eyes. He looked almost like his father except the protestic hand and legs. He wore brown and pale yellow Viking clothing and also a helmet with its horns sprouting out of the sides than on the top.

Sigmund had very dark brown, short hair with a wavy fringe and very bright blue eyes. He had a large revealing scar across his left check that he had received when he was a child. He wore a dark brown shirt with black leggings, a black belt with black leather straps and brown furry boots.

Stoick was at the base of a towering watch-tower with more of his men. "We move to the lower defenses. We'll counter-attack with the catapults,"

His men obeyed his orders ant they ran to the lower defenses whilst carrying more sheep to safety.

"_More dragons were swooping down and setting more houses on fire,"_

"See? Old village, lots and lots of new houses,"

"FIRE!"

The shocked shouting voice from outside made Hester, and Garsir dash to the open window. They spotted some Vikings

"Alright, let's go!" a young female voice called from outside.

Hester and Garsir looked out to seen five Viking teens their age carrying buckets of water.

"_That's Fishlegs Ingerman (Sigmund's older brother), Snotlout Jorgenson (who my cousin which I wish he wasn't), the Twins: Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorstan (a pair of troublesome Vikings) and __Astrid__ Hofferson. Before Sigmund became best friends with me and Garsir, Astrid was once our best friend when we were little kids. But soon she ditched me all because she wanted to hang out with more Viking like teens. Garsir was so angry at her that he ended her friendship with her for being like this to me. We both have had an unending hatred for her ever since. At least Hector filled the space she made and gave us his friendship. We've been inseparable ever since," _

Gobber noticed his son, Hester and Sigmund looking outside and he pulled them inside. Hester was about to go outside but he lifted her up from her coat's top.

"Oh, come on. Let me out, please? I need to make my mark!" Hester pleaded to Gobber. "I'm so much more than just some runt,"

"Oh, you've made _plenty_ of marks. All in the wrong places!" Gobber argued initially refused.

"Dad come on," Garsir pleaded to his dad. "There's so much more to her than you think. She could kill a dragon and her life will get infinitely better,"

"Hester, you can't lift a hammer, you can't swing an axe…" Gobber counted the number of weapons that Hester couldn't hold nor wield due to her weak structure. "You can't even throw one of these!" Gobber held up a bola but a Viking grabbed it from behind him and threw into the air. It wrapped itself around a Gronkle and it fell to the ground.

"Okay, fine, but this will throw it for me," Hester said agreeing. She motioned Gobber to a wooden machine but once she patted it, it opened and shot a bola over their heads hitting a Viking standing outside the blacksmiths.

"Arggh!"

"Oops," Hester said embarrassed.

"See, now this right here is what I'm talking about!" Gobber argued stepping forward to her.

"Mild calibration issue—" Hester attempted to reason.

"Don't you- no- Hester. If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all... this," Gobber remarked.

"You just pointed to _all_ of her!" Sigmund stood up for her.

"Yes!" Gobber turned his attention back to Sigmund. "That's it! Stop being all of you!"

"Ohhhh..." Hester started.

"Ohhhh, yes." Gobber mimicked back.

"You sir, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much, raw... Viking-ness... contained? THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES!" Hester warned him.

"I'll take my chances," Gobber answered not held back by her warning. "Sword. Sharpen. Now,"

Hester sighed in anger. Honestly, why him now? Sigmund and Garsir held sympathizing faces for their best friend.

"One day, you're goanna get out there," Sigmund encouraged Hester.

"Sigmund's right. You're goanna show your dad and everyone what you're capable of," Garsir encouraged as well.

"Thanks, guys," Hester was very grateful to her best friends for being there for her. "But how can I when they don't even give me a chance?"

"Who says they have to give you a chance?" Sigmund rhetorically asked.

"_One __day, I'll get out there. Because, killing a dragon is __everything__ around here. _

Outside in the desert, Nadders were attacking sheep, Gronkles were stealing racks of fish, and a Zippleback ignited a house and blows it up.

"_A Nadder head is sure to get me at respected. Gronkles are tough. Taking down one of those would __definitely__ make Snotlout and the Twins stop making fun of me. A Zippleback? Exotic. Two heads, twice the status," _

Stoick and some of his men were at the catapult.

"They found the sheep!" the operator for their weapon alerted.

"Concentrate fire over the lower bank!" Stoick ordered.

"Fire!"

There was a huge growl beneath Stoick and he looked down.

"_And then, there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire," _

A huge fiery, furious Monstrous Nightmare growled when it appeared into Stoick's view as it had alighted himself.

"Reload!" Stoick called out to his men. "I'll take care of this,"

Stoick struck the Nightmare with his hammer a few times. It growled and retreated into the sky.

"But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one has ever seen. We call it the—"

A high-pitched whistle was suddenly heard from the sky. The Vikings panicked. "NIGHT FURY! GET DOWN!"

From out of nowhere, a fire blast caused an explosion that tore the catapult apart.

"JUMP!" Stoick shouted. He and his men jumped down from the catapult as it fell apart to pieces.

"_This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and... never misses. No one has ever killed a Night Fury. That's why I'm going to be the first,"_ Haylie was determined to prove herself – and what better to do that than by killing the most deadly dragon known to man.

"Man the fort, guys," Gobber ordered to his son, Hester and Sigmund. "They need me out there!"

He attached an axe to his arm and began to run out, but he turned around at the doorway.

"Stay. Put. There." he ordered to them. "You know what I mean," he led out a battle cry and charged outside.

"Well, Hester you're goanna get out there and using that invention?" Sigmund asked once he was out of sight.

Hester didn't answer.

"Come on, Hester," Garsir encouraged. "You've got to try,"

"Than that is what I'll do," Hester answered.

"That's the brave Hester who's our best friend," Sigmund said. "We're coming with you,"

"No, guys. I don't want you two to get into trouble," Hester refused.

"Hester, remember our motto. _"Best Friends we are, so we have to stick together," Garsir reminded her. _

Hester smiled again at them. After a group fist bump, they both pushed the invention outside and started running through the village.

"Kids, where are you guys going?!" a Viking shouted.

The kids ignored them and just kept on running towards the high hills located at the far side of the village.

Stoick and his men spotted several Nadders surrounding a large group of ship. Together as a team, they threw a large net over them before they leaped on the sharp reptiles and wrestled. They tried to blast at them as well as through the net with fire but their mouths were sealed tight by strong hands.

"Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them!" Stoick warned as he wrestled a Nadder.

Hester, Sigmund and Garsir finally made it to the highest hill in the village.

They set up the _bola catapult before Hester stepped up and prepared to fire. Garsir and Sigmund just stood there watching her. _

_Hester looked high into the sky to try and find the Night Fury or at least another dragon to shoot down. Catching a Night Fury was the trickiest of all. They blended into the Night so it was impossible to see one. _

"Come on. Gimme something to shoot at, gimme something to shoot at," Hester muttered.

_Her eyes scanned the sky until they caught a shadow, visibly blotting out the stars. The shadow fired at another catapult and as it exploded like several fireworks, the fiery explosions illumintated the flying shadow. With the chance she had, Hester pulled the lever and a huge bola-net went rocketing up into the sky. She and the boys heard a loud cry echoing across the dark atmosphere that was turning bright. They turned and saw the shadow plummeting down into the forests of Berk. _

"You did it!" Sigmund cheered.

"Yes!" Hester cheered. She jumped down and high-fived her best friends.

"We just knew you could do it!" Garsir exclaimed very proud of her. "Did anybody see what this girl did?!"

_A Monstrous Nightmare suddenly showed up from behind them and crushed th bola launcher with just one step. _

"Except for you," Sigmund said awkwardly.

The Monstrous Nightmare roared.

"Run!" Hester shouted. She and the boys turned and ran for their lives.

Stoick was busy tying up the Nadders up with his men when his ears caught a shrill cry from the hill that caught his attention. He turned to see the Monstrous Nightmare chasing his daughter and her best friends. He sighed in aggrivating anger and got up to go and save them.

"DO NOT let them escape!" he called down to his men as he ran away.

"Right!" his second-in-command Spitelout Jorgenson answered back.

Hester, Sigmund and Garsir's hearts were beating frantically as they dodged the dragon's fire blasts and snapping bites at them. They finally made it to the blacksmith's when the Nightmare blasted a huge swarm of fire at them. It separated Hester from the boys. She fell to the ground with a thud.

The Nightmare turned its attention to the boys but Hester quickly reacted by getting up, grabbing a stone and throwing it at its face. "Leave them alone!"

The Nightmare started chasing after her.

"Hester!" Both Sigmund and Garsir shouted. They tried to run after her but they were pulled inside by Gobber.

Hester ran behind a torch pole to hide. The Nightmare blasted the torch pole and flames started reaching around the corner. Haylie began to peered around one side to see where it was but she didn't notice the Nightmare reaching its head round to get her.

Before it could harm her, Stoick leaped out of nowhere and pushed its head away from Hester. Once he saved her, he jumped back incase the Nightmare would try to snap at him again. Instead it tried to fire at him but all it got was a few coughs of flaming liquid instead. It had reached its shot limit.

"You're all out," Stoick sneered knowing this was his chance. He gave the dragon a number of mighty punches to the face before it took off cowering.

_"Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know..."_

The pole collapsed to the ground revealing an embarrassed, silent Hester. The _torch tumbles down into the village, leaving ruins out huts and it allowed to netted dragons to escape. _

"Sorry dad," Hester apologized not looking her father's furious flared-up eyes.


	2. Setting Out

**Setting out: **

The Vikings watched as the dragons flew out of sight away from the island carrying loads of food and sheep. All eyes turned and glared angrily at Hester. Sigmund and Garsir came through the crowd and held heartfelt sympathy for her. "Okay, but I hit a Night Fury," she said to her dad.

But Stoick just _grabbed her by the back of her hoodie and dragged him towards their house._

"It's not like the last few times, Dad! I mean, I really actually hit it! You guys were busy and I had a very clear shot,"

"Chief, Hester is telling the truth!" Sigmund called out.

"We saw her do it with our own eyes," Garsir supported.

Stoick took no notice of them.

"It went down, just off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there, before it—" before Hester could finished, her father lashed out at her.

"_STOP!_ Just... stop. Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an _entire_ village to feed!"

"Between you and me, the village could do with a little _less_ feeding, don't ya think?" Hester questioned crossing her arms. _A viking in the crowd rubbed his stomach as if to say "Are you calling me fat?")_

"This isn't a joke, Hester!" Stoick shouted. "Why can't you follow the simplest orders?"

"I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just... kill it, you know? It's who I am, Dad," Hester argued back.

Stoick sighed. **"**You are many things, Hester. But a dragon killer is not one of them," his shaking head made Hester frown at her. "Get back to the house,"

"Dad, I'm not a child!" Hester shouted.

"Hester, you will do as I say," Stoick argued back with a soft, stern voice.

"Make sure she gets there," he ordered Gobber. "I have her mess to clean up,"

"Chief, it wasn't her fault!" Sigmund defended. "The dragon did it,"

Stoick turned to Sigmund with a flared up face boiling red as fire. "You, young man had better learn your manners,"

Sigmund gulped.

"And you…" Stoick turned to Garsir, "And ought to listen to your father's orders,"

Stoick walked away leaving Sigmund and Garsir to follow Gobber and Hester. They passed by the other teenagers. Most of them were smirking at a down trodden Hester.

"Quite the performance!" Ruffnut mocked.

"Still the same failure, you always were, Hicca!" Tuffnut jeered calling Hester by the female version of Hiccup.

"My name is not Hicca!" Hester shouted. "It's Hester. Hester!"

"Hey, it's a suitable name for weaklings and failures like you!"

"She is not a failure, Tuffnut!" Sigmund defended as he and Garsir dashed up ahead of Gobber and came to her side. "Now shut your mouth! Or I shut it for you! You as well, Ruffnut!"

Both twins gulped and took a step back.

"I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!" Snotlout gloated taking the deepest pleasure of being selfish and cruel to Hester.

"Watch your mouth, Snothat!" Garsir defended pointing a finger at him. "Or I cut your tongue out!"

Hester's eyes caught sight of Astrid. Once they made contact, the two girls took deep, dark glares at one another. Hester would never forgive Astrid for what she had done when they were kids.

Sigmund frowned at Fishlegs (who sheepishly and he frowned back at him. Although they were adopted brothers, they never got along at all. Ever since Sigmund was adopted into the Ingerman family when he was a child, their mother: Flora doted on him and paid more attention making Fishlegs think she loved Sigmund more than him. The two have had an unending hatred for one another ever since. Sigmund once tried to fix things between them but Fishlegs was too overcome by jealously that he couldn't listen to him.

Just as the group had come up to the top right in front of the door to Hester and Stoick's house, Hester gave out a sigh. "My father never listens,"

" Come on, Hester. It runs in the family.

"And when he does, it's always with this... disappointed scowl. Like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich. _[Imitating Stoick]_ Excuse me, barmaid! I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra large boy with beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fish bone!"

"Hester, you are not a fish bone," Sigmund consoled.

"But look at me! I'm weak. I have no muscle. And I'm always called Hicca. The female name for Hiccup which means runt,"

"Hester, it doesn't matter what you look like. It's whats in here that counts," Garsir pointed to her heart.

"Garsir's right. It's not so much what you look like, it's what's inside that he can't stand," Gobber said.

His son glared at him and crossed his arms. "Dad, just how is that supposed to make Hester feel better?"

"Thank you soooo much for summing that up," Hester sarcastically said to Gobber. "I feel so much better,"

"Look, the point is Hester, stop trying so hard to be something you're not," Gobber attempted to say.

"I just want to be one of you guys," Hester lamented. "I've tried all my life to be a viking but somehow I'm just not good enough. And I never will be,"

"Hester, you've gotta stop letting what they say get to you," Sigmund consoled.

"Well, Hester you should be inside. Sigmund, you should go back to your home and Garsir, you are so in much trouble," Gobber pointed.

"Bye, guys," Hester said. "I'm sorry I got you guys in trouble,"

"Don't be Hester," Garsir consoled.

Hester went inside and gently closed the door.

Gobber walked down the hill with the boys beside him. "Guys, why couldn't you both convince Hester to stay inside the blacksmith? Why did you both have to go along with her idea?"

"Dad, Hester isn't some poor helpless creature who can be caged inside all day," Garsir argued. Besides, we convinced her to go out and try and kill a dragon,"

"What?!" Gobber shouted. "How could you two give a crazy, stupid idea to the future chieftess?"

"Gobber, it wasn't stupid!" Sigmund shouted. "She's more than capable that you and Stoick think,"

"Guys, you two and Hester could have been killed," Gobber berated. "Look, I understand that you guys want Hester to show how capable she is to her father but you guys have to consider about the well being of her safety as well as your own," he looked at Sigmund. "Sigmund, ever since you were adopted into this tribe, the Ingermans have done their best to ensure you don't suffer the same fate as what happened to your birth family,"

"Dad!" Garsir shouted.

"What?"

Garsir pointed at a visibly depressed Sigmund. Gobber realised he had made him sad by unintionally making him remember the fate of his family. "Oh, sorry, Sigmund,"

Sigmund just turned his face away. Gobber just decided to give a comment to his son.

"And Garsir…ever since your mother Gertrud died when you were three, I swore to myself that I would never let anything happen to you,"

"Dad, we are not defenceless kids. We can be warriors if you and the chief give us a chance," Garsir defended. His father just gave a serious stare back at him leaving no room for arguments.

"Now, Sigmund you go home and…" Gobber gave out a small sigh before looking at Sigmund with serious eyes. "Think next time before you talk back to the chief,"

Sigmund turned and stalked back to his home giving a wave to Garsir.

"Come on, young man," Gobber attempted to take his son's hand but Garsir pulled it away and stomped away back to the blacksmith.

Gobber sighed feeling that he had been tough on them. He turned round and started to make his way to the climbing trail of stone steps that led to the Grand Hall. It had two gigantic dragon statues still lit up, guarding the two grand doors.

Back inside the Haddock House, Hester took a peak outside her door and so there was no one in sight. She smirked. This was her chance to get out of the village without anyone knowing or anyone coming into her house quite soon and finding out where she'd gone. She dashed upstairs to her room. Her room included a bed, a large desk with paints, pencils, pictures hanging everywhere above it, a wardrobe, a table with tools, gadgets etc and a stack of three shelves each with books and journals. She took a satchel from her wardrobe and a furry cloak. She then took the only weapon she was ever able to use, a short yet powerful dagger. She stepped onto the edges of her large window and slide down the side of the wall onto the green grass outside.

When she had the chance, she sprinted into the woods that lay beyond the village. This was her chance to find the Night Fury and kill it. This was her chance to prove herself to her father and her village.

Inside the hall, everyone had gathered around a huge table that held a fire illuminating the centure. A gigantic dragon of gold with a sword stabbed through the middle hung above.

"Either we finish them, or they'll finish us!" Stoick proclaimed to his people. "It's the only way we'll be rid of them! If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave," he gripped a stone dagger and stabbed a large island laid out at the far left corner of his map. "They'll find another home! WE must organise one more search. Before the ice sets in and winter comes,"

"Those ships never come back," a Viking argued.

"We're Vikings! It's an occupational hazard!" Stoick pointed out. Vikings were strong, daring, resilient men who would never let fear drive them away from what was right. "Now who's with me?

"Today's not good for me. I've gotta do my axe returns," the same viking replied.

"Alright. Those who stay will look after Hester,"

Immedianlty after that, everyone lifted up their hands. They didn't want to be anywhere near that girl who they considered a blighter.

Phlegma shouted: "To the ships!"

"I'm with you, Stoick!" Spitelout saluted. He was none other than the father of Snotlout so therefore Hester's uncle as Stoick was his brother.

"That's more like it," Stoick complimented. Everyone walked out in order to prepare themselves for a dangerous journey ahead.

"Right, I'll pack my undies,"

"No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits," Stoick refused. If some vikings were going to die on this journey, they were going to need as many new warriors as possible. "Please include your son and Sigmund as well,"

Gobber sarcastically answered back. "Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy, Hester can cover the stall. Molten steel, razor sharp blades, lots of time to himself... what could possibly go wrong?"

"What am I going to do with her, Gobber?" Stoick desperately needed advice from his closest friend.

"Put her in training with the others,"

"No, I'm serious," Stoick immediately refused not wanting his daughter to be arms.

"So am I,"

"She'd be killed before you let the first dragon out of its cage," if there was anything about Stoick, it was the face that he was overprotective of his daugther. Ever since his wife Valka was taken by dragons when she was an infant, he had sworn to let nothing happen to her.

"Oh, you don't know that," Gobber sympathised. "She's fifteen,"

"I do know that, actually,"

"No, you don't,"

"No, actually, I do,"

"No, you don't!"

"Listen, you know what she's like. From the time she could crawl she's been... different. She doesn't listen, he has the attention span of a sparrow... I take her fishing and she goes hunting for... for trolls!"

"Trolls exist! They steal your socks. But only the left ones. What's with that?" Gobber wondered.

Stoick began to tell his best friend a story. "When I was a boy..."

"Oh, here we go," Gobber muttered.

"My father told me to bang my head against a rock, and I did it. I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?"

"You got a headache," Gobber answered using his mug to hammer his fake tooth into place gently.

"That rock split in two. It taught me what a Viking could do, Gobber. He could- He could crush mountains, level forests, tame seas! Even as a boy, I knew what I was, what I had to become. Hester is just not that person,"

"You can't stop her, Stoick. You can only prepare her. Look, I know it seems hopeless. But the truth is you won't always be around to protect her. She's going to get out there again. She's probably out there now. Besides, my boy and Sigmund have faith in Hester. If they think she's capable, then – maybe you should too,"

Stoick allowed his closest friends words to be absorbed into his stone, strong head. His crunched eyes softened. As did his face expression. Maybe Gobber was right. Maybe he should let Hester participate in training. If she was going to be the future chieftess of Berk, she would have to learn how to fight dragons.

* * *

**Here is Chapter 2. Maybe one of Hester's best friends will be her boy friend? Well, you'll just have to wait and find out. **


	3. Finding the Night Fury

**Finding the Night Fury:**

For four hours, Hester had been searching the Isle of Berk for the Night Fury she shot down. This was her twentieth estimate at where it might have landed. She closed her eyes begging it to be in front of her for when they opened again. It wasn't.

She sighed so annoyed at her luck turning bad and started stalking down a hill.

"Oh, the gods hate me," Hester lamented. "Some people lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an ENTIRE DRAGON?! What is wrong with me? Why can no one see that I am more than what they think?"

What is it with her? She had tried so hard all her life to prove to Berk that she was more than just some useless runt. Now she had lost her only chance of proving herself to her father.

She sat down on a boulder lamenting about how she always fails every time she tries to prove her worth. As she did, she started singing a lament that she had longed to sing out loud so that even the gods (watching over all Vikings from above).

She sat down a boulder and allowed her feelings to transform into a song. A song about always being sidelined, overlooked and unappreciated no matter how hard she tries to be a Viking.**  
**

"_Guess we all are born with parts to play  
Some of us are stars, and some are just in the way  
I know I was meant for glory  
But that's never what my story brings  
And yet I keep on waiting,"_

Hester stood up and started walking slowly through the woods. She felt the air whistling a rhythm as if to help her sing out her feelings.  
_  
"When you have the passion and the drive  
You expect your moment centre stage to arrive  
I show up with heart ablazing  
Ready to achieve amazing things  
But I'm left waiting in the wings,"_

Hester turned up to the sky hoping that somehow the gods could hear her lamenting and perhaps even assist her.

_"I hear my cue  
And yet I'm kept there waiting  
Know what to do  
And still I stand there waiting  
It's always someone else who sings  
While I'm left waiting in the wings" _

Hester referred to all the other teenagers who always never got downtrodden for actions they'd do to try and help the village. It was almost as if, despite the fact that she would be Chieftess of Berk someday, the village would always respect them more than her. This made her feel unloved and uncared for. However, there was a speck of hope inside her for Sigmund and Garsir loved and cared for her. They highly believed that she would be a great Chieftess someday. d

_"And so I keep on keeping on  
My chances come and then I blink and they're gone  
Always overlooked unfairly  
While pretending that it barely stings  
But it stings, yes, it stings,"_

She always tried to pretend that the village's feedbacks at what she tries to do never hurt her; deep inside it scars her for life. It literally kills her on the inside. However she wasn't going to let their comments drive her down. Like her Best Viking Friends Forever told her: "Don't let what they say get you down,"

_"And I'll shed no tears  
I'll only keep on waiting  
If no-one cheers  
Well, I can keep on waiting  
Who cares how loud the silence rings  
You'll find me waiting in the wings…" _

Hester continued to look up into the sky as she sang out her final line sadly. Though heartbroken and unloved deep inside, she was determined not to give up no matter what. She just had to continue waiting – and bear and tolerate with all the constant angry feedbacks that her father and village would seemly give her for the rest of her life.

She turned to walk back to the village but a branch was in her way. Hester swiped a tree branch out of the way but it swiped back and hit her in the eye.

"Oww!" Hester rubbed her eye very hardly to supress the pain. When she pressed her right hand against her right eye, her left hand caught sight of a huge branch almost broken off the large towering tree that she was walking by. The long branch looked like something had crashed into it. After removing her right hand from her right eye so she could get a clear look, she eyed the partly branch that sloped down a hill.

The hill had a trail of dirt with twigs scatter about.

Hester realised that the dragon must have crashed into the tree and then rolled down that hill. She started taking slow, steady steps down the hill.

She came to the bottom and then she crawled up a bit over a short slope. Once her head looked over the top, her heart was struck as her eyes caught sight of a black creature. She ducked down thinking she had been spotted.

She waited anxiously for something to happen. Nothing did.

She slowly peeked her head up again. Her mouth widened. So did her eyes. IT was the Night Fury, wrapped inside the bola she had shot into the sky.

She slowly drew out her dagger taking no eye off the dragon. She took slow, steady steps down the slope. She took a moment to duck behind a nearby boulder. She peered from around the side. She had to be sure that it wasn't alive ready to strike anyone who comes close to it. IT didn't move a single muscle. Nor did it make, a single sound.** "**Wow. I did it. Oh, I did it! This fixes everything!" she had never felt so lucky in the world. "Yes! I have brought down this mighty beast!"

She stepped a foot on the seemingly dead dragon's face, feeling proud of her capture. Suddenly the paw lifted and she was shoved away. "Whoa!" she gasped. She pointed her knife forward, snarling her teeth. She was brave and bold. She was not a coward.

Her eyes shifted over its wings. Her soul and body fell silent as she was looking into a lime green eye with a thin, nervous iris. The dragon was looking at her. It didn't move. Nor did it steer to try and kill her.

"I'm going to kill you, dragon," she snarled. "I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father. I'm a Viking. I am a VIKING!"

She raised her hands right above the dragon's chest and closed her eyes ready to take her strike. Ready to kill. Ready to do the action that would show everyone that she is more than just some useless runt who they call: 'Hicca!'

However, she hesitated. She opened her eyes and looked into the dragon's. she saw how frightened and scared he was.

She shuddered off that sight and closed her eyes again.

The dragon moaned with fright and laid its head down. It closed his eyes ready to accept his fate.

Hester felt her heart tightened and she gave in. She lowered her dagger and opened her eyes. Her heart felt sorrow for the poor defenseless creature. She couldn't do it. Inside that dragon she sensed, fear. The same kind of fear she was feeling. **"**I did this," she said. She procceded to walk away and tell the village about her capture. But a second later, she hesitated again. What's the point of telling the village? They didn't believe her in the first place. Could she tell Sigmund and Garsir? They would probably expect her to kill it in the end because they believed it was the only way she could finally prove herself to her village.

She took another look at the black dragon. She turned her head away – and made her choice.

The dragon jolted his eyes open as he felt the ropes binding his paws to his feet unexpectantly loosen.

Hester was cutting the ropes with her dagger. She wanted to let it go and forget that she never encountered it. Just when she cut the final rope bounding its legs. The Night Fury leapt off the ground and pinned her against the rock. She could feel his heavy strong paw pressing against her chest where her heart was.

It began beating so rapidly. She started breathing in and out struggling to calm down. Her scared eyes looked into the angry, boiling eyes of the Night Fury.

"If you're goanna kill me, do it," she pleaded. "I'd rather die anywhere than live in a world that doesn't care about me,"

The Night Fury dug its head further to her face. **"No. A life for a life. Cost the debt paid," **the Night Fury gave out an ear-piercing roar into Hester's face. With a swoop of its wings, it turned and took off quick as a whip.

Hester saw it swoop through the trees. In the foggy distance, she noticed it lopsidedly flying as it disappeared out of sight.

She gasped for air. Not just from what it had done but from she had discovered. Did she understand that dragon? Did it just talk to her in a language that only she could understand? She'd never thought that any dragon could speak. She always believed that they could only roar or growl or perhaps coo a bit.

She picked up her dagger and stepped up. She proceded to walk away but – she fainted.

Hester's eyes flickered up. She stood herself slowly up taking care not to lose her balance. She gasped as she instantly realised it was dark. She started sprinting through the forest back to the village as fast as she could. If her dad found out, she was gone, he was goanna kill her.

About five minutes later, she was finally in front of her house's door. She opened the door very slowly. She saw her father sitting in front of the fire, poking the burning logs in with a poker. She stepped quietly inside and quietly shut the door. She tiptoed at a quick pace to the stairs and just as she was creeping up them to get to her room, her father's voice spooked her.

"Hester,"

Hester stopped halfway up the stairs and froze in horror thinking she was goanna get in trouble.

"Where have you been?"

"I was…I was just visiting Garsir and Sigmund in the armoury,"

"Good. Just as long as you don't going running anywhere else,"

"I have to talk to you, about something, dad," Hester started to say when she walked back down the stairs to him.

"I need to speak with you too, darling," Stoick stood up from his seat.

Simultaneously, both the father and daughter attempted to explain something but thy were saying their sentences at the same time that they couldn't quite hear it each other. "I've decided I don't want…" Hester started to say.

Stoick said, "I think it's time you learn…"

They both ended with: " to fight dragons," they both froze realising they had a similar ending. "What?" they both asked at the same time.

"You go first," Stoick insisted.

"No, no, you go first," Hester insisted back.

"Alright. You get your wish. Dragon Training. You start in the morning,"

Hester's heart was struck. She didn't want to go into training. Not after what had just happened today in the woods. "Oh, man, I should've gone first!" she cursed. "Uh, 'cause I was thinking, you know, we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough... bread-making Vikings, or small home repair Vikings-? I mean I was thinking that maybe it's too dangerous for me to be in Dragon Training since I am your daughter and the future chieftess of this village,"

"Hester, you need to learn how to defend yourself. That's one of the important qualities of being a future lead of this village. Now, you'll need this," he passed his daughter a large axe. It was quite heavy that Hester struggled to hold it upright.

"I don't want to fight dragons," Hester pleaded.

"Come on. Yes, you do," Stoick insisted again. "It's what you wanted earlier,"

Hester wouldn't give up. "Dad, I can't kill dragons,"

"But you will kill dragons," Stoick proclaimed. "You've got to,"

"No, I'm really very extra sure that I won't," Hester couldn't exactly give a clear answer.

"It's time, Hester,"

"Can you not hear me?!" Hester was coming to the brink of shouting. For fifteen long years, she felt her father never understood her. Nor did he ever insist in listening to her about hr problems.

"This is serious, son! When you carry this axe, you carry all of us with you. Which means you walk like us. You talk like us. You think like us. No more of... this," he pointed to Hester's scrawny, slim body.

"You just gestured to all of me," Hester felt offended. "Are you saying that I can't be a Viking the way I am?"

Again, her father didn't listen. "Deal?"

"This conversation is feeling very one-sided," Hester argued. "Did you not listen to the question I just asked?"

"DEAL?!" Stoick shouted.

Hester flinched back. She simply gave out: "Deal," with bitter reluctance.

"Good. Train hard," Stoick walked to the door and picked up a huge sack full of supplies. "Be good. I've asked Gobber to keep double watch on your while I'm away. I'll be back. Probably,"

"And I'll be here. Maybe," Hester replied bluntly. Once her father closed the door, she dropped the axe on the floor and stomped upstairs. She laid herself on her bed and sighed so loudly.

What had she got herself into?

What was she goanna do?


	4. First Day of Training

**First Day of Training:**

Hester eyes flickered up to the sound of tweeting from outside her window. She turned her head and saw that a bird was perching on her window sill. She slowly sat herself up and tried to startle the bird.

"Morning, tweet, tweet," she greeted.

The bird tweeted. Hester pulled an apple from her satchel, took a bite to the core and took out the few seeds embedded in the core. "Want a seed?"

She held her hands to the bird with the seeds. The bird eat the seeds and chirped, happily thanking Hester for the seeds.

Hester stroked its head.

'Bang' 'Bang' 'Bang'

Startled, the bird flew away and Hester went downstairs towards the noise-making door.

She opened it revealing Sigmund and Garsir.

"Morning guys,"

"Morning, Hester," they greeted back.

"How you're doing?" Sigmund asked.

"Fine," Hester yawned a bit as she led them inside to some seats near the burned-out fireplace.

"Feeling tired?" Garsir asked as he took his seat down.

"Yes. I couldn't get to sleep for a long while last night," Hester yawned again as she poured the boys some yak milk.

She bought them over to them and they sipped it after a quick 'thank you'

"Your father was pretty mad at me for shouting back at me yesterday," Sigmund lamented sadly. "Yesterday, before he and the others left, he gave me a good shout at. My dad was a quite mad too but my mother wasn't. Fishlegs, unfortunately, is becoming more jealous than ever. I don't how much longer I can cope with it,"

"I'm sorry," Hester said.

"No, I deserved. I should have known better than to talk back to your dad like that,"

"Sigmund, you were only trying to stand up for what's right for Hester,' Garsir consoled. "And don't let what Fishlegs's jealously get to you,"

"Well, I thought you guys might be happy to hear that my father enrolled me into Training,"

"Isn't that great news?" Sigmund proclaimed out loud as he and Garsir cheered for their best friend.

"Aren't you happy, Hester?" Garsir asked expecting a yes.

Hester gave a small smile but then hung her head down.

"Hester, are you okay?" Sigmund asked as he crunched his eyes in confusion. As did Garsir. Why wasn't Hester happy? "Isn't that you what you wanted?"

Hester didn't answer. She just stayed silent, and still like a statue.

"Hester, whatever it is, you can tell us," Garsir consoled as they took a seat beside her.

"Guys...it's just…" Hester was torn between telling the truth and keeping the truth from them. "Something happened yesterday…"

"What happened?" Garsir asked.

Hester was struggling a lot.

"Hester, please tell us. Whatever it is, we won't tell anyone," Sigmund promised.

Before Hester could even give out an answer, Gobber burst in. "Come on, kids. It's time for training. No time for friendly chats!" he left the door open.

"Let's go, guys," Hester insisted desperate to get out as soon as possible. "I'll talk about with you guys later,"

She walked over and picked up her axe, hoisting it over her shoulders.

Sigmund and Garsir decided to go along feeling that it would be wrong to pressure her into telling them. If anything they might make it worse. That was not what they wanted for their best friend.

They walked out of the house carrying their weapons.

Sigmund had a sword with a dragon handle strapped to his back whilst Garsir had two small single-hand axes strapped to his belt. They made their way over to the Arena on the far side of the island.

It was carved in stone and its roof was a huge chain net. No dragon would get in or out very easily. Inside the arena were five pens, each closed and shut tight by strong gates of strong, stiff iron that wouldn't burn very easily.

"Welcome to Dragon Training!" Gobber opened the iron gates with a simple push of a lever.

Astrid, leading the group and armed with her trusty double-headed axe, took a deep breath in, and a deep breath. She had been waiting years for this. "No turning back," she said to herself.

She led the other four inside. Fishlegs with a hammer. Snotlout, also with a hammer. And the twins, both with spears.

"I hope I get some serious burns!" Tuffnut was so eager for trouble and danger. If anything that showed how reckless and immature he was goanna be during lessons.

"I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back.

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it," Astrid pointed. "And if you focus very precisly,"

"Don't forget, Astrid that you need to be trustworthy and look out for another's back besides your own," Hester's comment to her former best friend made her presence known to the teenagers. They, particularly Astrid, weren't happy at all to see him.

"Oh, great. Who let 'Hicca' in?" Tuffnut moaned.

"Why don't you just shut your mouth, Tuff?" Garsir defended. "Her dad did, so you be quiet,"

"Call her Hicca again, and it'll be the last thing you ever say," Sigmund's warning was made clear by his neck clicking his bones as he spent it right and then left. Tuffnut gulped in fear.

Gobber decided to cut in with his speech before an argument could start between his son and Tuffnut. "Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village,"

"Hester already killed a Night Fury, so, does that disqualify her or...?" Snotlout's cruel mocking was cut off by Sigmund.

"Say another insult and I'll punch the light out of your face," he threatened with a threatening finger pointing at him.

"Can I transfer to the class with the cooler Vikings?" Tuffnut asked Gobber.

"There are no cooler Vikings, Tuffnut," Garsir advised. "Only better, more formidable ones,"

Gobber came by Hester's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry. You're small and you're weak. That'll make you less of a target! They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead,"

"Dad!" Garsir whinned pulling Hester away. "How's that goanna help her?"

Gobber just continued on with his speech to everyone. "Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight!"

The students gathered in a line and watched as Gobber motioned to all the cages whose doors were being banged against from the inside from its prisoners. "The Deadly Nadder!" he showed the first one.

Fishlegs (a very smart Viking Dragon knowledge) muttered "Speed: eight; Armor: sixteen,"

"The Hideous Zippleback!"

"Plus eleven stealth times two."

"The Monstrous Nightmare!"

"Firepower: fifteen,"

"The Terrible Terror!"

"Attack: eight; Venom: twelve!"

"Will you just stop that?!" Sigmund shouted into his face. "For nearly all my life, my tolerance with your stupid muttering on boring, already easy-to-know facts was hard to deal with. But's it's reached its end,"

"Hey, you can't tell me what to do!" Fishlegs shouted into his adoptive brother's face. "And just so you know I will not stop resenting you for being mum's favourite boy,"

"Don't you two start shouting?!" Gobber shouted. "And... the Gronkle!" he placed his hand on a lever to open the door.

Fishlegs whispered this time. "Jaw strength: eight,"

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Snotlout shouted becoming scared. "Aren't you gonna teach us first?!"

"I believe in learning on the job," Gobber answered. He pressed the lever unlocking the cage doors and outburst the Gronkle, who promptly renegaded at the teenagers. They dodged out other way. The huge, bolbous dragon bumped into the wall and procceeded to attack agan.

"Today is about survival. If you get blasted... you're dead! Quick! What's the first thing you're going to need?"

"A doctor?!" Tuffnut guessed.

"Two doctors?!" Ruffnut guessed.

"Plus five speed?!" Fishlegs shouted.

"A shield!" Both Astrid and Hester answered at the same time. They both glared at each other at the same time.

"Shields! Go!" Gobber ordered.

The teenagers dashed over to a huge pile of shields and started picking them up by the handles. "Your most important piece of equipment is your shield! If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield!"

Sigmund noticed Hester was having a bit of trouble. He dashed to her side and quickly helped her lift up his own.

"Thanks, Sig," Hester thanked Sigmund by his nickname.

"You're welcome," he replied before taking his shield and running with Hester into practice.

Tuffnut had got his hands on a green shield with skulls on but Ruffnut grabbed it too by the other side. "Get your hands off my shield!"

"There's like a million shields!" Ruffut bickered pointing out to all the other laid-out shields.

"Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers,"

Ruffnut still wouldn't have it so she snatched the shield full out of her twin's hands and slammed it onto his head.

"Oops, now this one has blood on it," Ruffnut gored and they started fighting over it again like children.

The Gronkle flew towards the Twins. Seeing that they were distracted by endless squabbling, it took the chance to blast their shield with a fireball, leaving them dazed on the ground after they span round and fell to the ground.

"Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!" Gobber shouted.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut both dazed asked: "What?" clearly showing they didn't pay attention.

"Those shields are good for another thing: noise! Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim!"

The remaining teens began hitting their weapons against their shields, making the Gronkle shake its head, confused. Its visions started becoming blurry. The teenagers started splitting up so they could divide and conquer.

"All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronkle have?" he asked out loud.

"Five?" Snotlout guessed.

"No, six!" Fishlegs corrected.

"Correct, six! That's one for each of you!"

Fishlegs was so focused on answering Gobber's questioned that he didn't notice the Gronkle was behind him. It blasted at him and the' shield got blasted out of his hand. He ran away screaming.

"Fishlegs, out!" Gobber noticed Hester hiding behind a hunk of wood. "Hester, get in there!

Snotlout and Astrid were with each other. "So, anyway I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out!"

Astrid ignored him and cartwheeled out of the way. She was typically not a boy person. She was a warrior person. One who was keen to be number one.

The Gronckle fires at Snotlout knocking him off his feet and blasting his shield.

"Snotlout! You're done!" Gobber called.

Both Garsir and Sigmund smirked. For a Jorgenson, whose a bullying cousin to their best friend, and who arrogantly claims that he's strong and bold, he was not living up to those expectations.

Astrid landed near to the Hester much to their disgust.

"Hey, stay out of my way, Hester!" Astrid warned keeping a clear eye on the Gronkle. "I won't have you mess up my chance,"

"Your threats don't scare me, Astrid. You can be number one in training for all I care," Hester responded. "But I don't think you will with lack of trust,"

That did it for Astrid. Astrid kicked Hester to the side.

The Gronkle fired at them, but it missed. Hester quickly rolled out of the way but she suddenly lost her shield. It was rolling away on its side so she ran after it. But the dragon hot on her heels. '

"One shot left! Hester!" Gobber shouted.

"Hester, look out!" Sigmund shouted.

The Gronkle cornered Hester. She fell on her butt and backed against the stone wall. taking its aim. Before she could be roasted, Gobber quickly tugged it away with his hook in its mouth. It caused it to misfire its last shot.

"And that's six! Go back to bed, ya overgrown sausage!" Gobber shoved the dragon back into its cage and locked it. "You'll get another chance, don't you worry," he assured the other students. "Remember: a dragon will always - always - go for the kill,"

He pulled Hester to her feet and left the arena with the others. All but Astrid and Fishlegs were laughing at how Hester nearly got killed.

But it was cut by Sigmund and Garsir glaring so hatefully at them and stomping up behind them and shouting at them.

"Hey it's not funny! Hester could have been burnt alive!" Garsir shouted.

"Don't any of you learn to show respect to your future chieftess?" Sigmund asked, reprimanding them for being so selfish.

"Don't you ever learn to show respect to your future chief?" Snotlout demanded gesturing to himself.

"You call yourself a future chief?" Garsir asked, almost bringing himself to the point of laughing. "If anything, you're an arrogant, pompous teen who will never put the needs of others above his own,"

"Pompous? POMPOUS?!" Snotlout ear-pierced with his bellowing voice as bold as a buffalo. "You didn't just say that!"

"I just did!" Sigmund retorted back.

"You know Ruff and Tuff, just for the record, you guys look skinny yet you still bully Hester for what she looks like,"

"We're not skinny!" Ruffnut shouted back offended.

"Yes, you are. So if you guys are, yet do not bully each other for it, then don't bully Hester," Garsir ordered agreeing with his best friend's statement.

"Astrid, you could have gotten Hester killed," Sigmund berated pointing a hateful finger at her.

"She got in my way,"

"No, you were just lacking trust, Astrid," Garsir counter argued. "In all my years, since our friendship ended, never have I seen you do something as reckless and unreliable as this,"

"Someday, soon Astrid, your lack of trust will lead to your downfall," Sigmund warned.

Both he and Garsir turned to walk over to Hester but they halted in their steps when they saw she had disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" Sigmund wondered.

"I think I might know where she's gone," Garsir whispered making sure no one could hear them.


	5. Book of Dragons

**The Book of Dragons: **

Hester had sneaked away from the Arena. She had dashed back into the forest, right back to the spot where she had found the dragon and let it go. She was holding up one of the rocks questioning: "So, why didn't you?"

Why didn't that dragon kill her? It could have; yet it just let her live. Was it because she let it go? Was it because it was not in his nature?

"Hester!"

Hester jumped and she turned and saw Garsir and Sigmund, puffed out from following her.

"Garsir? Sigmund? What are you guys doing this?"

"After you disappeared from the Arena, we assumed you were goanna go to the woods and we followed your tracks," Garsir answered.

He and Sigmund noticed how tense Hester was feeling.

"Look Hester, whatever it is you're keeping secret, you can tell us," Sigmund tried to calm her down. "We promise you that we'll keep it secret, no matter what,"

"We're your best friends," Garsir reminded. "Have we ever broken a promise?"

Hester shook her head very slowly. "Okay, I'll tell you guys,"

They sat down on the grass and the boys listened to her story.

Hester told them everything.

How she ventured out alone to try and find the Night Fury she shot down. Why she didn't come and get them as she didn't want them to get them into trouble. How after hours of searching, she found the Night Fury wrapped in its bola. How she attempted to kill – but couldn't bring herself to because of the fear in his eyes. How she decided to let it go. How it spared her life and flew off in a floppy manner. And how it spoke a language that she uncannily understood.

Hester braced herself for their reaction. She expected them to be shocked and immediately run to the village to tell them.

Instead, Sigmund said: "Wow. I never thought such a thing could happen. Is that why you've come back here? To figure out why it didn't kill you?"

Hester nervously nodded.

"Hester, your secret is safe with us," Garsir promised. "We would never tell anyone a secret that would cause you to get banished from Berk for good,"

"Really?" Hester's heart was lifted by their strong loyalty.

"Of course, really,' Sigmund promised taking her hand. "Besides, what you did was so brave. I've heard that showing mercy than showing none is extremely courageous,"

"I'm so surprised that the Night Fury did the same thing," Garsir said impressed as well. "And you say that you could understand it?"

"Yeah. It was so weird," Hester said. "Does it seem weird?"

"It does but I think you being able to understand it actually sounds interesting," Sigmund commented.

"I wish I knew how I could," Hester wondered. "Maybe once I see it again, I might,"

"Well, shall we go further on?" Garsir asked.

"Are you sure, you guys want to be part of this?" Hester asked feeling concerned about their safety.

"Yes!" they both answered seriously.

With that the Trio stood up and continued on. After walking further on, they found themselves facing a wall of white stone. They came through a gap and found themselves in front of a cove. "I think the Night Fury might have landed in here," Hester hinted. "When it flew off, I saw it flap in a floppy manner. I didn't see it go down but I guess in that manner, it could have landed somewhere like here,"

They entered further throuhg the entrance and saw surveyed how empty and quiet it was.

"Well, this was stupid," Hester lamented. "We should go,"

"We can't just go now," Garsir insisted.

"Guys, look," Sigmund pointed to some shiny black dragon scales on the floor.

Hester kneeled and picked one up. "I wonder," she began.

Suddenly, there was a swoop of black and it made the three fall back onto the ground.

They hid together behind a boulder and saw the black flying creature fall down the side of the cove's rock wall and glide across a small lake to the other side.

The three came out from behind their boulder and moved closer to the edge. Hester took out her journal and pen and started making a sketch. "Why don't you just... fly away?"

"I think it's because of that," Garsir pointed over to the dragon's tail. It had a right tail fin but no left tail fin. "I don't think it can fly with a tail fin missing,"

"Oh, my…" Hester started feeling guilty after she erased the left tail fin from her sketch of the dragon.

"Hey, don't feel guilty. You couldn't have known what would have happened," Sigmund explained.

Down in the cove, the Night Fury tried again to fly up but for the tenth time, he fell and landed on the ground with a huge thud.

"Oh, come on!" he moaned. Its ear-like appentages flicked up when its eyes caught a glimpse of a fin flicking in and out of the water. It tiptoed forward and it could see fish underneath. "I need fish,"

It tried to bite in the water and get a fish but it was too fast. The other fish swam away. "Oh, bonkers,"

Hester, Sigmund and Garsir up above watch it with sympathy. Hester let go off her pencil but it rolled off the edge much to her shock.

The dragon laid down feeling tired and worn about from all his failed attempts to fly away when he heard a 'clutter' from the other side.

It looked up and saw the very same girl that had spared her life along with two boys, he'd never seen before. It stared at them.

Hester turned its head.

It copied her action.

Hester turned her head upright again and the dragon down below mimiced again.

"Is that dragon mimicing you?" Garsir whispered to her.

"Yes,"

"Uh guys, not to be bummer but it's still staring at her," Sigmund reminded very quietly.

The dragon was indeed still looking very warily at them.

"I think we should back away. Very, very, very slowly," Hester whispered.

"Yep," both boys answered.

They stood up very slowly and stepped slowly out of sight. Hester was the last one to exist. The dragon stared at her. Once it was out of sight, Hester turned around.

"Alright. Where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?" Gobber asked.

"I mistimed my somersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble," Astrid asnwered.

Ruffnut said: "Yeah, we noticed," quite sarcastically.

"No, no, you were great. That was so "Astrid"," Snotlout honored but it earned a rejecting scowl from Astrid. He had tried for ages to impress Astrid but he was just not her type.

"She's right, you have to be tough on yourselves," Gobber's eyes widened as he saw the Trio. "Kids, where were you guys?"

"We were playing on the beach," Garsir quickly lied.

"Well, since you three are here, eat your dinners," Gobber handed them plates of chicken and fish. "Now to continue on, where did Hester go wrong?"

The three glared so angrily at Gobber.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Uh, she showed up?" Ruffnut guessed.

"She didn't get eaten," Tuffnut answered.

Both of them were cut off by glares from Sigmund.

"She's never where she should be and she got in my way," Astrid rudely commented.

A knife suddenly whizzed past her face and struck a wooden pole by her side.

Everyone looked and saw Garsir with his arms outstretched from unleashing the knife. "One thing you did wrong, Astrid was leaving Hester by herself. She could have been killed because of you. What you lack is helping your fellow Vikings and that just makes you unworthy of being a star in training,"

Astrid snarled over to him as he, Sigmund and Hester took their seats.

"Okay, now you kids have to learn to live and breed this stuff," Gobber pointed out as he fished out a large book with the Berk crest from his side. "The Dragon Manual," he shoved some bowls aside and tossed it on the table. "Everything we know about every dragon we know of,"

'BOOM!' the thundered roared loudly outside bring tension to how the night would be difficult for vikings to get a good sleep.

"No attacks tonight. Study up," Gobber ordered. He turned to his son. "Be home soon, son,"

"Yes, dad," Garsir answered bluntly without turning his head. He was extremely tired of his father's orders sometimes.

"Wait, you mean, read?" Tuffnut questioned about doing an activity that involved brains instead brawns.

"While we're still alive?" Ruffnut beseeched.

"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?" Snotlout demanded as he banged a plate making a piece of uneaten chicken fling up in the air, then land back down again.

"It's so you can learn how to survive against one, muttonhead!" Garsir shouted over.

"Oh! I've read it like, seven times," Fishlegs gave out excitedly.

"I've have to put up with your annoying, loud speaking," Sigmund commented bluntly.

Fishlegs took no notice. He just started giving out annoying facts."There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face. And-And there's this other one that buries itself for like a week-,"

Tuffnut clapped his left finger tips together to silence him. "Yeah, that sounds great. See, there was a chance I was going to read that..."

"...But, now...," Ruffnut went.

"You guys read, I'll go kill stuff," Snotlout started walking away from the table.

Fishlegs, the twins and Snotlout trailed after him not wanting to be stick reading a book all night. Fishlegs continued to go on with his annoying knowledge. "Oh, and there's this other one that has these spines that look like trees...,"

Astrid was left by herself.

The Trio on the other table needed to read the book.

"If you're goanna use it, start using it now because we don't want to read with you and we're not goanna be kept waiting too long," Hester crossed her arms as she frowned at her.

"Don't bother waiting. I've already read it," she tossed the book into Hester's chest and stalked away.

She slammed the door as she exited the Great Hall.

"What is her problem?" Sigmund asked. "What exactly made her stop being friends with you guys before you found me?"

As he said this Sigmund was referring back to about seven years ago. Seven years ago, when Hester and Garsir were playing on the beach by themselves as a way to cheer themselves up from Astrid's selfish betrayal of their friendship, they encountered a small boat shipwrecked on the boat. Inside it, they found Sigmund, all scared, cold, hungry, thirsty and tired. His face was bleeding so much from his scar (that he had received from an unknown slash across his face). After taking him to Hester's father Stoick, he was adopted by the Ingerman family and since that day, he became Hester and Garsir's new best friend and filled up the empty space that Astrid had formed inside their broken hearts.

"It was mostly me," Hester lamented. "As I got older and I wasn't becoming any stronger compared to everyone else, she just…thought that I wasn't cool enough to hang out with her. Not only that but, she felt that my weak build would get in the way of her goal to restore her family honor,"

"Wait, you mean the whole Aurvidalle Fire fiasco, that I've heard loads of people talking about?" Sigmund asked.

"Yes. She started caring more about it than about Hester's feelings. Soon I ended my friendship with her saying this to her: 'If you care more about your family's honor than about Hester's feelings, then you putting you own needs above hers," Garsir explained the final part.

"Hester, you are anything but weak. You're special and wonderful in your own cool unique way," Sigmund said taking her hand.

"Thank you, Sig," Hester said. "Garsir and I are very grateful to you for everything you've given us ever since we found you,"

"Well, what do you guys say we read this book and lift our minds off Hofferson?" Garsir suggested not wanting to bear another think about his ex-best friend.

"Couldn't agree with you more," Hester replied.

The three got some candles and a few drinks. They sat back at the table together on one side with Hester sitting in the middle. Hester laid out the book in front of them and opened it.

"Dragon classifications. Strike Class, Fear Class, Mystery Class," Hester read the contents.

Sigmund read the first dragon. "Thunderdrum: This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight,"

Garsir read about the next dragon. "Timberjack: This gigantic creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight.

Hester read next a Tidal Class dragon. "Scauldron: Sprays scalding water at its victim,"

"Ahh!" she screamed when she heard a loud ear-piercing 'BOOM!'

She jolted her head to the side and saw the thunder booming outside causing light to strike the inside of the hall.

"It's alright, Hester," Sigmund rubbed her back to give her comfort. "Nothing to worry about,"

The three continued back on reading with Garsir taking his next turn. "Extremely dangerous. Changewing: Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight. Gronckle, Zippleback.

Sigmund took his turn: "The Skrill, Boneknapper, Whispering Death. Burns its victims, buries its victims, chokes its victims, turns its victims inside-out. Extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous, kill on sight, kill on sight, kill on sight..." Hester and the boys continuously flipped through the pages until they came to the page titled "Night Fury," There neither pictures nor a lot of information displayed. Hester reading the few facts labled down. "Speed, unknown. Size, unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you,"

Hester took out her journal from her coat's inside-pocket and opened it to the picture where she had her copy of the Night Fury. "Guys, I'm going back to the cove tomorrow by myself,"

"What? No way!" Garsir said disagreeing. "No way, are we letting you go alone,"

"Guys, I have to. If all three of us go, people might start getting suspicious,"

"Hester…we go where you go. We stand where you stand," Sigmund reminded.

"What if our secret is uncovered? You guys could get severely punished,"

"Hester, we don't care about what happens to us. We care about what happens to you," Garsir explained.

"No matter what you try to do to keep us out of it, we will follow you no matter where you go," Sigmund proclaimed.

Hester just smiled and hugged them both. Nothing was more important to her than her love for them.


	6. The Nadder Incident

**The Nadder Incident: **

The next day, the teens were facing off against the Deadly Nadder, a bird-like dragon with a crown of spikes, a spike on it snout and a long barb tail that could shoot multiple spikes at once. A large maze had been set up in the arena. This was to make the lesson more complicated and a bit harder for the teens.

During the lesson, Hester wanted to ask some more questions about Night Furies to Gobber, much to his irritation.

"You know, I just happened to notice the book had nothing on Night Furies. Is there another book? Or a sequel? Maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet?"

A Nadder suddenly fired at her. It hit her axe, burning of its blade. "WHOA!"

"Focus, Hester! You're not even trying!" Gobber shouted getting annoyed at her for asking questions when she was being attack.

Garsir pulled Hester away from the Nadder as it set its sights on her. "Why are you asking questions in the middle of the lesson?!"

"Look, there's gotta be more about Night Furies somewhere,"

"I'm sorry Hester, but if you ask questions in a situation like this, you'll get roasted alive,"

"Today is all about ATTACK! Nadders are quick and light on their feet! Your job is to be quicker and lighter!"

Fishlegs was cowering against a wall when the Nadder spotted him. **"Found you!"** it squeaked. Spikes pricked up on its tail and the Nadder lauched them at Fishlegs, who quickly blocked them with his shield.

"AAAAAH! I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!" Fishlegs shouted.

"Look for its blind spot," Gobber advised from above. "Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike!" the twins found themselves in front of the Nadder's snout. This was its blind spot. It could sniff and hear them. But it couldn't see them. **"Where are you?"**

Ruffnut felt her stomach gurgle when she caught a whiff of a disgusting smell.

"Ugh! Do you ever bathe?" she asked her brother in front of her.

"If you don't like it, then just get your own blind spot!" Tuffnut shoved his twin backwards by the elbow.

"How about I give you one?!" Ruffnut demanded angrily as she and Tuffnut started headbutting each other.

Their endless bickering caused the Nadder to catch sight of them again. **"Found you two!"** It blasted a huge stream of fire at the two and they dodged out of the way before they could be roasted like chicken.

"Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot? Not so much. Heh, heh, heh," Gobber giggled as he observed the twins.

"Hey, so how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?" Hester started asking questions up to Gobber again.

"No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale. NOW, GET IN THERE!" he snapped.

"I know, I know, but hypothetically-," Hester tried to say.

But Astrid's loud whispering voice interrupted her. "Hester!"

Hester turned and saw her and Snotlout crouched down.

"Get down!" she ordered.

"I'm don't take orders from you," Hester retorted.

"Do what she says who I punch you," Snotlout whispered warned.

"You do that and I punch you back," Garsir's voice warned from behind Hester. He pulled her in the opposite direction.

Both Snotlout and Astrid rolled skillfully and quietly past the Nadder. The Nadder started searching for another viking teen to try and fry. it came face to face with Hester and Garsir.

Sigmund appeared out of nowhere and threw his shield like a frisbee into the Nadder's face. The Nadder turned its attention towards him and started chasing after him.

Hester and Garsir tried to follow behind back the Nadder saw them and unleashed barbs from its tail. Garsir pushed Hester out of the way.

Sigmund eventually managed to lose it.

Snotlout and Astrid turned and again were face with the Nadder.

"Watch out, babe. I'll take care of this," Snotlout shoved.

"Hey!" Astrid shouted.

Snotlout threw his weapon but it missed the Nadder.

Astrid was furious with Snotlout. Her eyes were boiling red.

"The sun was in my eyes, Astrid!" Snotlout gave out a poor, unconvincing excuse. The Nadder started chasing after them. "What do you want me to do, block out the sun? I could do that, but I don't have time right now!"

Snotlout dodged through a corner whilst the Nadder still continued to chase Astrid. As it did, it started knocking the walls down like bowling pains.

"They probably take the daytime off. You know, like a cat. Has anyone ever seen one napping?" Hester still continued to ask Gobber questions.

"Hester!" Gobber shouted pointing over her head.

Hester looked behind and saw the walls topping down on one another. Astrid was leaping from wall to wall with the Nadder trailing behind her.

Sigmund and Garsir tried to reach Hester but a wall fell on top of them.

"Guys!" Hester tired to run forward to get to them but she stopped in her tracks when her former best friend called out her name.

"HESTER!" Astrid shouted and she landed right on top of Hester. Her axe got stuck in Hester's shield.

"Ooo! What a pair of tangled uppers!" Tuffnut mocked.

"She could do better," Ruffnut commented very rudely.

"Just... let me... why don't you get off me?!" Hester asked Astrid very angrily.

"Shut it!" Astrid covered her mouth.

She suddenly got scared when she saw the Nadder get back up from the debris.

She tried lifting her axe dug inside Hester's shield but Hester would let go. Astrid dug her boot into Hester's face.

"Hey, get your boots out of my…!" Hester's voice was muffled but she didn't get to finish her sentence. Because Astrid was stronger and she yanked the shield from her hand. She gave a mighty swing in the Nadder's face and the shield busted into splinters of wood.** "Ow!"** the Nadder screamed in pain. The Nadder walked away in pain and Gobber led it back into his cage.

"Well done, Astrid," Gobber complimented.

Hester turned and watch Garsir and Sigmund get out of the rubble. She was quite petrified by hearing a majority of the Nadder's speaking with this mysterous gift she was keeping secret.

Meanwhile, Astrid would have been proud with her work. But instead she turned to Hester looking very angry. "Is this some kind of a joke to you?! Our parents' war is about to become ours! Figure out which side you're on,"

"Hey, what are you so mad at me for?!" Hester asked angrily as Garsir and Sigmund dashed to her side and helped her up.

"Why am I mad?! Are you seriously asking me that?" Astrid lashed out. "You got in my way. Then you nearly caused me to get eaten by that Nadder who was this close…!" she held a tiny, tiny, tiny gap between her fingers. "…to killing me. You wonder why we're not friends at all,"

"Oh, this is why we're not friends all? Because I accidently got in your way?" Hester demanded. "No! I don't think so! We're not friends because I'm not Viking enough to hang out with you so you pretended not to even know me anymore. And another reason is because you care more about your own interests like your precious reputation than about my feelings,"

"No wonder you're such a selfish, self-centered girl who doesn't think about anytime but herself," Garsir hissed as he stayed by Hester's side. "And no wonder, I stopped being friends with you as well after you unforgivably pushed Hester away like she was nothing!"

"Well, she is!"

Hester staggered back. She had never felt so hurt.

That did it for Sigmund. With two mighty punches to the face, Sigmund sent her onto the ground on her back. Everyone including Gobber staggered back in shock. The other teenagers became more nervous. They feared another move they would make, would earn them more than one painful punch in the face like with Astrid. "The only person who is nothing, is you Astrid Hofferson! You're nothing more than a selfish girl who is so blinded by her arrogance that she can't see the difference between fans and friends and who is so thick-headed she can't see how selfish she is becoming,"

Astrid snarled up at him as she wiped her bloody, bleeding nose with her hand and pressed an extreme sore black eye with her hand.

"If you say another unforgiveable thing like that again, I'm goanna make you wish you were never born,"

Astrid continuously glared at Sigmund with utter hatred as he and Garsir escorted a highly hurt Hester out of the arena.

"You had no right to be like that, Sigmund!" Fishlegs shouted after him.

Sigmund turned and looked hatefully at his adoptive brother as he helped Garsir escort Hester out. "She's gotta learn that she can't treat Hester this way. Just like all of you do. And you Fishlegs have gotta stop being so jealous of me. What in all Thor's name did i ever do to you to get you to have such hurtful animosity towards me?"

Fishlegs silenced after hearing Sigmund's question.

Once they reached the village outskirts where they would walk in order to allow Hester to avoid the villagers' hateful stares. "Hester, don't let what Astrid said get to you," Garsir sympathized.

"But she's right,"

"No, she isn't!" Sigmund turned Hester's tear-filling eyes to meet his own. "The only people who are nothing are people like her and those teenagers. You're so much more than they think. You've got greatness waiting for you. You just have to be brave and resilient enough to let it unfold,"

"Well, shall we head to the cove?" Garsir asked hoping to bring Hester out of her misery.

The two nodded.

"First, let's head to my house. I need to get some things," Hester said.

They sprinted to Hester's house and Hester closed the door. Whilst the boys waited downstairs and had some offerings of ale, Hester went to her room. She grabbed her satchel and placed inside a fish, a few apples for herself and the boys and her journal and pen. She also took one of her father's shields.

"I'm ready guys," she called down to her BFF's. "Let's go out through my window,"

Sigmund and Garsir came upstairs and together they all exited Hester's room through her window. They slide down the side so no one would see them leaving. When they had their full chance, they sprinted into the woods.

Off to the Night Fury they would be going.


	7. A Bond is Formed

**A Bond is formed: **

The group headed through the forest until they were near the cove.

"So, how do you guys think we should approach it?" Hester asked.

"I think we should do it, cautiously," Sigmund suggested. "And maybe we should go into the cove another way rather than just from that ledge where we got spotted,"

"That's a good point, Sig," Garsir answered.

"Then that's what we'll do," Hester declared. The three headed down to the bottom of the stone wall that surrounded the cove. They found a small narrow opening.

With Hester leading the way with her shield, they creeped further forward.

Behind the shield, Hester took out the large fish she had bought and tossed it out into the cove.

She peered over the top to see if the dragon had seen it or if it was in sight. It wasn't.

Hester tried to go forward but the shield got caught between the narrow sides. She tried to push and pull it out; it was no use.

"Oh, great," she cursed herself. She looked over again to see any sign of the dragon. There still wasn't any.

"Any sign of it?" Sigmund whispered from behind.

"No sign of it," Hester answered.

"Where is it then?" Garsir asked quietly. "It was just here yesterday, and it couldn't fly out,"

"I wonder," Hester wondered. She turned to the boys "Guys, I need you two to wait behind this shield whilst I go inside,"

"What? No way! You're not going in there alone," Garsir refused.

"Guys. If we all come in at once, the Night Fury (wherever he is in this cove) will get more agitated," Hester pointed out. "I think it would be best if I entered alone for the time being,"

The boys looked uncertain. However, they decided to go with her plan as their guts told them that she knew what she was doing.

"Okay," Sigmund said. "We'll be right here if you need us,"

"Thanks," Hester felt grateful to them for trusting her.

She sneaked under the shield very slowly. She picked up the fish and proceeded to walk further on. As she took slow steady steps, she took a look back at Garsir and Sigmund and they gave her reassuring faces.

She turned back forward. She came near the lake in the centre of the cove. She peered around for the Dragon. It was nowhere to be see. 'That's weird,' she thought. 'Where did you go?'

What she didn't realise was that the Night Fury was perching behind a large rock and looking at her.

Hester mysteriously felt a sense drawing her to look behind her. She turned and gasped upon seeing the Night Fury take steady, stealthy steps down the perch and make its way in front of her. Only about 20 feet away.

"Easy, dragon," Hester said across very calmly. "I'm not here to hurt you. Here," she held out the large fish.

"**For me?"** the dragon asked from across. Hester, again, could understand it. She was still petrified from how she could do that.

The dragon stepped forward but retreated back growling as it sense a small blade of silver tucked inside Hester's belt.

Hester realised she'd forget to take her knife out. She opened her cardigan revealing it. She slowly started to draw it out but again the dragon growled.

"**Don't touch it,"** it warned.

"Easy. Easy. Easy," Hester attempted to calm him. "Please?"

The dragon didn't know whether to trust her or not.

It just kept still glaring at Hester as she pulled her small blade out. What happened next, she tossed into the nearby lake.

"See?" she explained. "Sorry about that. I just needed it for protection. There's nothing dangerous in my satchel either," Again Hester offered out the fish.

The Night Fury stepped further forward feeling no need to be cautious. It acted more friendly as it stepped towards Hester. Its face was right in front of her hands. It opened its mouth revealing no teeth.

"Uh…toothless?" Hester questioned. "I'd swore you had…" she didn't get to finish her sentence because from out of the gums, retractable teeth popped out and the Night Fury snatched the fish from her hands and swallowed the fish whole after biting it in half.

"**Mmm…delicious,"** the dragon answered licking its lips.

"Teeth," Hester answered nervously.

The dragon (in fact a male) started approaching closer and closer to her making her fall on her but. He started sniffing her that he made her shuffle backwards into a rock.

He suddenly caught whiff of the smell of apples in her satchel. Hester noticed and pulled one of them out. "Here, want an apple?"

Again, the dragon snatched it from her hand without answering.

"Rude, taking an apple without saying thank you, Toothless"

"**Toothless?"**

"That's my name for you. It's better than Mr. Night Fury. Do dragons have names?"

"**Not really. But I like it. Thank you,"** Toothless answered. **"Can I have another?"**

Hester took out of the other two with regret and Toothless scoffed them up.

"**Got any more?" **

"Sorry. I don't have any more,"

"**You must be hungry,"**

"Well, I am but I can't eat anything considering I gave you my apples,"

"**Well, here,"** after a second of hurling his throat up and down, Toothless regurgitated half of the fish onto Hester's lap.

"**Eww!"** Hester said disgusted. **"I can't eat that! It's been in your stomach,"**

From across the cove, still crouching behind the stuck shield, Garsir and Sigmund watched Hester feeling tense. "If she eats that, I'm goanna be sick," Garsir said feeling queasy already.

"Me too," Sigmund groaned as quietly as she could.

"**Please eat it,"** Toothless urged. **"It's not that bad,"**

"I'm goanna regret this," Hester muttered lifting it. With massive regret, she took a bite out of the fish. It was disgusting. She forced herself to each it. She started making disgusted noises and gurgles with her mouth.

Much to her surprise, Toothless started copying her.

"Are you copying my sounds?"

"**Maybe,"**

Hester started making funny faces. Again, Toothless mimicked her actions with funny faces. When she gave out a smile, he gave a weird dragon smile back that didn't quite exactly matched hers.

"**You know, I don't even know your name,"**

"My name is Hester,"

"**That's a beautiful name,"**

"Thank you,"

Although queasy from watching Hester take a bite out of the fish, Garsir and Sigmund were so surprised by what Toothless was doing.

"That is so incredible," Sigmund said.

"I've never seen anything like it," Garsir said as well. "No dragon has ever acted like that before,"

They both squeezed together to get a closer look but they were squeezed and pressed tight against the stuck shield, that the shield finally squeezed through the gap.

The boys landed with a thud.

Toothless's ear-like appentages flicked up as he heard a loud 'thud' from across the cove.

He turned and saw two fallen boys getting up. He snarled and started to bound forward and attack.

"**No, stop! Toothless! Stop!" Hester shouted jolting in front of him. "It's okay! It's okay! They're friends!"**

She tried to lean forward and touch his snout to calm him down. But he snarled saying**: "Take them and go!"** and flew away to the other side.

Hester huffed at his sentence as she eyed him flying to the other side. That, in her opinion, was just incredibly rude.

She walked over to the boys.

"You guys okay?" she asked.

"Yes. We wouldn't have fallen if Sig hadn't pushed us," Garsir mutter angrily.

"Hey, I just wanted to get a good view like you,' Sigmund argued.

"Guys…" Hester interrupted their argument. "I have never ever seen a dragon act so friendly before,"

"We know right. This had never happened before in history," Garsir stated.

"Could you really, really, really understand it?" Sigmund asked.

"Yes. I don't know why," Hester answered. She looked back over to the other side and saw Toothless. "I would really like to find out,"

Back on the other side of the cove, Toothless ignited a small patch of dirt to warm it up. He laid down on it and was prepared to go to sleep.

He didn't proceed when he noticed Hester sitting right near him along with those two boys. They were quite nervous. They anxiously waved a hand at him and held nervous cheesy smiles.

"It's okay, Toothless," Hester assured. "These are my best friends Sigmund and Garsir. They've got no weapons so, no need to get snarly with them,"

Toothless eyed Garsir and Sigmund very hardly. **"They seem nice. Now please leave me alone. I'm tired," **

He flipped his tail round and used its left fin to block his sleeping head.

"That was just rude," Hester whispered to them. She shuffled her but forward a bit and leaned forward to touch Toothless's tail.

"Hester, what are you doing?" Sigmund asked quietly.

Unfortunately, his whisper wasn't quiet enough. Toothless's enhanced hearing woke him up and he lifted his tail fin up. He glared at Hester. **"Will you not touch me, please? And please all of you leave me alone,"**

"Okay. Okay Okay," Hester pulled Sigmund and Garsir's hands and they wlaked away. "We're going. We're going. We're going,"

"I'll sleep somewhere else," Toothless muttered tiredly. He walked away. He climbed off a tree growing from the stone wall of the right side of the cove. He hung down from the branch like a bat and slept peacefully.

For two hours, he slept but then his eyes flickered up.

He surprised to find the three humans, particularly Hester, still sitting in the cove. He observed them playing a nice game together before they started doing their own things.

Hester was drawing in the sand. Garsir was reading a nice story, his deceased mother had written for him when he was an infant. Sigmund was drawing inside his own journal. He loved drawing a lot as much as Hester.

He stepped over to where Hester was sitting on a rock using a long stick to draw her picture.

"**I see you and your best friends are still here,"**

Toothless's phrase surprised Hester. She turned, looked up and saw his curious eyes. "We didn't want to head back to the village yet,"

"**What are you drawing?"**

"You'll see," Hester finished her drawing and Toothless was surprised. It was him.

"**Your drawing is so beautiful,"**

"Thank you,"

Toothless unexpectantly tottled off and came back with a bigger, thicker sticker.

He started drawing all around with it against the sand. He had to use his teeth to steer the stick against the ground.

Garsir and Sigmund observed what he was doing.

Toothless finished his drawing and sat down on the sand a few metres from Hester.

"What is this?" Hester asked, eyeing how Toothless's drawing was basically just an extremely long line in the sand wiggling all around in the ground in their small area.

"**That's you,"**

"Was he trying to draw Hester?" Garsir asked Sigmund.

"I think he was," Sigmund whispered in his ear. "If anything, it's terrible,"

Again, Toothless's enhanced hearing heard what Sigmund said.

He growled at him. **"Did you just call my drawing terrible?"**

"Sigmund, you'd better apologise before he gets angry," Hester advised over.

"Okay. Sorry Toothless," Sigmund answered nervously.

Toothless looked back at Hester and eyed her looking all around at his drawing. He suddenly became angry when she stepped on one of his lines.

"**Hey, get off the drawing!"** he growled.

"Oh, sorry," Hester quickly lifted her foot off the line.

Toothless stopped growling and cooed happily at them. **"That's better," **

This time, Hester stepped over the lines and she stood between each gap, she was spinning round and turning. She stopped when she felt a ruff of air blow at the back of her head. She turns and sees Toothless's wide gentle eyes looking into her own. She pushes her hand up to his snout again. But again, he growls.

"**Don't – touch me," he warned. "I still don't trust you,"**

Hester took a deep breath and twisted her head down. She pushed her hand forward again, slower and less seemingly threatening. "I won't hurt you," she promised. "You can trust me. But it's up to you if you do,"

Toothless didn't growl at all. All he saw now was a kind, gentle hand of that Viking girl who although shot him down, spared his life and didn't try to kill him again.

He seemed to lean his hand forward a bit.

Garsir and Sigmund still observing from nearby felt tense. Sigmund was about to walk forward thinking Toothless might hurt Hester but Garsir stopped him. "Don't, Sig." he advised much more quietly. "Wait,"

After a few seconds of sensing trust in Hester, Toothless made his choice. He leaned his snout forward and felt the light, soft of her light, soft touch.

Hester felt nervous. She looked back at him and saw his snout resting inside her palm.

Toothless opened his eyes and moved his snout back.

"You trust me? Even after what I did,"

"**You're not like other Vikings. I see it in your soul," he said. "I'm still tired. I'm off to bed now. I hope to see you soon and your friends too," **

Toothless looked over at Sigmund and Garsir. **"You two seem different too,"** he didn't realise they couldn't understand him. **"You guys are loyal to her. Never stop being loyal,"**

He whisked away back to the other side and went to sleep again.

"Wow. Just wow," Hester said to the boys as she came over.

"What did he say to us?" Garsir asked. "We couldn't understand him,"

Hester translated what he said to them.

"Did he really say that?" Garsir asked.

"He did indeed,"

"I can't believe he trusted you enough to allow himself to lean his snout forward to touch your hand," Sigmund spoke bewildered. "I actually thought for a moment he was goanna harm you but he didn't. I'm just glad you're okay,"

"I'm so surprised as well. This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger and stranger," Hester told.

* * *

**Thank you, Mariah for your support and reviews. I will do the whole franchise along with an additional story or two. I can't say if Hester's boyfriend will be one of her best friends or not. It'll just be a bit of a spoiler. Like the idea of Hester threatening to banish or kill all Hofferson if Astrid shouts at her again. **

**Hope you'll all enjoying it. **


	8. A New Tail Fin - It Works

**Building a Tail Fin – It works:**

Hester, Sigmund and Garsir snuck back into town before anyone could notice they were gone.

They were sitting with Gobber and the other teenagers at the top of the catapult stand around a warming fire holding fish or chicken out.

"And with one twist, he took my hand, and swallowed it whole. And I saw the look on his face: I was delicious,"

His son sitting on his left wasn't paying much attention. He had listened to that story billions of times ever since he was five so he practically knew every word and every sentence off by heart.

"He must have passed the word, because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg,"

"Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a dragon? Like if your mind was still in control of it…" Fishlegs bashed his chicken legs together. "…you could have killed the dragon from the inside by... crushing his heart, or something,"

As he was giving that comment, Astrid was glaring very hardly at Sigmund opposite her as he was next o Hester. She wanted to so badly get back at him for the mighty punches he had given her.

"That's stupid, Fishlegs," Sigmund commented angered at his brother's lack of knowledge. "When a person's arms is cut off, their nerves that connect it from its brain are seperated too meaning they can't move it,"

"Hey, I don't need to you correcting me like that," Fishlegs retorted.

Sigmund just turned his head away not wanting to start an argument. Hester placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled him closer. She couldn't stop feeling sorry for him for all the tension that Fishlegs puts him throuhg.

"I swear, I'm so angry right now! I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot. I'll chop off the legs of every dragon I fight. With my face!" Snotlout vowed, referring to his mouth that looked ready to bite and fight.

"Un-unh. It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon," Gobber taught as he pulled a wing off his chicken and munched it.

Hester's eyes widened. She had to help Toothless fly again. Sigmund felt how guilty she was feeling. He wrapped an arm back around her shoulders too.

Garsir placed his hand on her spare hand.

Hester looked at both boys as they could tell what she was planning. They gave her reassuring looks telling her that they had her back through and through and it would continue this way for the rest of their lives.

Gobber gave out a bellowing yawn. "Alright. I'm off to bed. You should be, too. Tomorrow we get to the big boys. Slowly but surely making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. But who'll win the honor of killing it?"

"It's gonna be me. It's my destiny," Tuffnut proclaimed thinking he would win, when actually he wouldn't judging by his lack of intelligence and his tendency to keep arguing with his twin. "See?"

Fishlegs gasped as he saw a tatoo. "Your Mom let you get a tattoo?

"It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark," Tuffnut explained.

"Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth, and that was never there before," Ruffnut shrugged not really believing him.

"Yes, it was. You've just never seen me from the left side until now," Tuffnut corrected thinking Ruffnut didn't know everything about her.

During that small discussion, Astrid had noticed Hester, Sigmund and Garsir had disappeared.

She walked over to the edge and saw them descending down the stairs. Why would they leave so early?

The three headed inside the forge. "We have to build a fin for Toothless," Hester said to the boys.

"Well, guys we had best get started. There's goanna be a lot of pounding, grounding, weighing and sewing to do," Garsir said picking up a hammer, ready to go in his happy-to-make mode.

"Garsir's right, that tail fin isn't going to make itself,"

The boys' eyebrows were crossed when they saw Hester standing with her back to them at the far side of the room. She had her arms crossed. Although, they couldn't see her face, they still knew in their hearts that she was holding a face of worriness.

"Hester, what's wrong?" Sigmund asked as they stepped closer to her with Sigmund putting a hand on her shoulder.

Hester turned round allowing them to see her worriness. "Guys, I'm just concerned about how you two will feel about doing this?"

"What do you mean by that?" Garsir asked confused.

"What I mean is…" Hester didn't want to say something that hurt their feelings. "What I mean is…." She sighed and just let out it out. "I'm concerned about how you guys will feel considering about…" She didn't need to finished it; Garsir and Sigmund knew her well enough to know a majority of sentences without them ending. The two boys just turned their heads away and rubbed the sides of their arms.

Garsir thought about his dead mother Gertrud. It was a previous dragon raid (one of the most hazadous ones that caused dozens of lives to be lost) when he along with most of Berk's teenagers were about a year or a few months old. Whilst his father was out fighting against the dragons alongside Stoick, Gertrud (who was in fact a few months pregnant with her second child) tried to get out of their house and get to the Hall for safety when suddenly the house lit on fire. Gobber dashed inside and all he managed to save was his baby son Garsir. There was no sign of his beloved wife pregnant with his second child and Garsir's younger sibling. Gobber was heartbroken ever since. Garsir was too once he learnt about his mother's death at five years old. From that day forth, he had sworn to avenge her.

On the other hand, Sigmund couldn't remember much from his past yet he still had an anxiety about dragons. All he could remember were wild dragons attacking from all sides, a man slashing out to try and seemly kill his mother and fire burning all around them. He was so scared. All he could remember was something or someone slashing his cheek, his mother getting him into a boat and then suddenly there was a mighty blast and everything went black. The next thing he remembered was waking up all alone and drifting at sea with no food, no water, no warmth, no family. Until there was a mighty storm. He woke up on Berk where he was found by Garsir and Hester. For years, he believed that his scar came from a slash from wild dragons and that his mother was destroyed by them. He has a burning hatred for them ever since.

"Look guys, if you guys don't want to get involved, then please don't for the sake of your lives and your mothers," Hester pleaded. She couldn't bear to put them through with it. "I don't want to make you both feel like you're acting like their deaths never happened. That they didn't mean anything to you guys when they did,"

"Hester, we won't do that," Sigmund declared. "We're having your back no matter what,"

"As much as we hate dragons, there's something inside that Night Fury that defies everything we all believe about them," Garsir stated.

"But what about your mother, Garsir? And yours as well, Sigmund?" Hester asked not wanting them to feel they would be dishonoring their mothers.

"As much as we miss our mothers every day, we can't spend the rest of lives focused on revenge," Sigmund pointed out firmly. "In fact, I can't help but feel that this connection you're growing with the Night Fury might mean something,"

"What could it possibly mean?" Garsir asked as he noticed Hester's questioning look.

"It means that maybe just maybe peace could be made between Vikings and dragons," Sigmund suggested.

"Sigmund – as much as this seems like a good idea – I don't know if it's possible," Hester gently shook her head. "This war has been going on for centuries. And there hasn't been a possibility for peace,"

"But there may be because of you and Toothless," Sigmund's encouragement didn't exactly seem convincing to one of his best friends.

Hester seemed uneasy about the idea at first.

"Sig – I think it would better to just focus on making Toothless tail fin for the time being," Garsir advised. "That dragon is friendly and not dangerous. And we have to help him fly again,"

Straight away, they began the process of building the tail fin. For hours, they forged a metal rod, cut out a fin from a large piece of fabric and sewed it all together. They collapsed on the floor and immediately drifted off the dream land.

The next bright morning, they headed out back to the cove without being seen, taking with them, a massive basket full of fish and the tail fin.

"Hey, Toothless! We're back!" Hester called once they entered and came near to him as he woke up. "We've brought breakfast. We're hope you're hungry,"

Sigmund placed the basket on the ground and kicked it down releasing dozens of fish. "Okay, that's disgusting," Sigmund said awkwardly as they slipped out. "Uh... we've got some salmon, some nice Icelandic cod, and a whole smoked eel,"

The mention of the eel made Toothless flinch a bit. Hester picked up the eel and held it to him.

"**Get it away from me! Get it away from me!" **

"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay!" Hester shouted tossing it away into the lake. "We don't really like eel much either," she admitted.

"If anything, it makes me sick all the time," Garsir said as he was feel giddy from the sight of his least favorite food.

"**Thank you,"** Toothless munch on the delicious fish.

As he did, Hester turned to the boys and nodded. They nodded back.

Sigmund and Garsir came closer to Toothless's head on both his sides.

"Good fish, isn't it Toothless?" Garsir asked trying to keep his spirits lifted.

"Keep eating up all the lovely cod," Sigmund encouraged as they were distracting him.

Whilst the boys kept him distracted, Hester snuck around to Toothless's tail. "Okay. That's it. That's it, just stick with good stuff. And don't you mind me. I'll just be back here... minding my own business," she moved the rolled-up tail-fin to Toothless's tail but he shifted it aside.

"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay," Hester tried to reassure Toothless as she felt their plan wasn't working too good. She gently grabbed his tail and attempted to get under way with strapping the fin on.

"Might wanna hurry, Hester," Garsir spoke over.

"**There's gotta be more,"** Toothless dug his head into the basket unintentionally pulling Hester forward.

"Okay. Okay," Hester whispering as she finally got a chance to strap it on.

Toothless finished and the basket dropped from his hung-up head. He noticed Hester was messing with his tail.

"It's okay, Toothless," Sigmund assured. "Hester isn't hurting you,"

"She only helping you," Garsir supported.

"**I wonder,"** Toothless wondered. He opened up his wings.

"There. That's not too bad. It just might work," Hester looked at the brown fin now strapped alongside Toothless's right tail fin.

"Uhh, Hester…" Sigmund alerted. "I think you need to get..."

"**Ahh!"** Hester screamed when toothless rocketed into the air.

Sigmund and Garsir watched with fear.

Hester clung onto Toothless for dear life. She was started to feel dizzy. But she was able to focus on the new fin. It was flapping up and down and was stretched out like Toothless's other fin. "Oh, no!"

"**No! No! Nooooooooo!"** Toothless screamed as his wings couldn't carry him up anymore. He and Hester were about to crash into a wall.

"Whoa! No! No! No!" Hester shrieked.

"They're goanna crash!" Garsir shouted. "I can't watch,"

Quick as she could, Hester quickly pulled the tail fin properly out and suddenly, Toothless's wings lifted him up into the sky. They shot up like a reptile rocket.

Sigmund and Garsir eyes widened. As did their mouths as they eyed the soaring duo soaring upwards.

"OH, MY- IT'S WORKING!" Hester cheered as she found herself thousands of metres high above the island. Toothless steered and he felt the feeling of freedom in the sky once again.

"It feels great!" he cheered.

Soon they found themselves flying back over the lake in the cove.

"YES! YES, WE DID IT!" Hester cheered over as she waved at the boys.

Toothless realized Hester was still on his tail. _"Get off my tail!"_ he suddenly did a sharp turn and in doing so tossed Hester into the lake with a splash.

Right after that, he realized he couldn't steer the fin by himself so he crashed into the lake as well.

He landed in the lake right near where the boys were. 'SPLASH' the boys were soaked by a gigantic splash of water.

"Yeah!" Hester cheered once again as she was bobbing in and out of the water.

She swam over the side and once she reached the shore. She playfully splashed the boys with water. Soon they all laughed and the boys jumped into the lake and joined in with the splashy fun with her.

"I can't believe it actually worked!" she said so flattered.

"Apart from the fact that he can't control it by himself," Garsir reminded with regret.

"Then I guess we've got work to do?" Sigmund wondered.

"Yep, that's exactly what we have," Hester answered.

"Guys! I've just realised it's nearly time for training again," Garsir alerted nervously.

"Oh, Thor!" Sigmund cursed. "Your dad's goanna kill us!"

The three retreated out the water and made way for the entrance. Only for them to be blocked by Toothless.

**"Please don't go Hester. I don't you and your friends to leave me,"**

"I'm sorry Toothless but we've got to go before our village finds out," Hester said. "But don't worry, we'll be back soon. Won't we, boys?"

"Yes. Most certainly," Garsir assured. "Wouldn't miss seeing you again,"

"And besides, I never thought I'd say this, but you seem to enjoy our company more than the village ever does," Sigmund explained. Although he and Garsir weren't underweight or unwanted like Hester, they were outcasts because of their friendship towards her and how they always tried to stand up to Chief Stoick whenever Hester got into trouble.

**"Okay,"** Toothless reluctantly said stepping aside.

The three sprinted out. Before they disappeared out of sight, Hester took one last promising look back at Toothless.


	9. The Zippleback Incident - A Saddle

**The Zippleback Incident – Building a Saddle:**

The three sprinted back to Hester's house and quickly grabbed their weapons. Hester grabbed a new weapon, a short sword, Sigmund grabbed his dragon sword and Garsir grabbed his two hand axes.

Garsir's eyebrows bent when he noticed a long slimy line of yellow and black hung just inside the fold of Hester's cardigan over her shoulder.

"Is that the eel we bought to Toothless?" Garsir asked.

"As a matter of fact, it is," Hester had in fact fished into out of the lake as they got out.

"What are you doing with it?" Sigmund questioned when he realised what Garsir saw.

"You'll see," Hester simply answered.

They sprinted back out of the house just in time to see Gobber about to open the lever to the arena and begin the lesson. The other teens frowned at the late Trio as they were unexpectantly holding buckets of water instead of weapons.

"Where were you guys?" Gobber demanded placing his wrists on his hips.

"We were out for a nice stroll," Hester quickly lied.

"And why are you three wet?" Gobber demanded again after noticing how wet they were.

"We were playing at the beach in the water," Sigmund lied quickly.

"Guys, you three are teens, not kids," Gobber said gently. "Now, let's go on with the lesson. You won't be needing any weapons. You'll be using buckets. Now all of you get into pairs,"

Hester, Garsir and Sigmund put down their weapons and took the resting three buckets of water standing near Gobber.

They didn't want to go with any of the other teens who were already in pairs. Astrid with Ruffnut. Tuffnut and Snotlout. And Fishlegs by himself. Gobber put Sigmund with Fishlegs much to their disgust. Gobber was tired how those two adoptive brothers couldn't get along. If he was going to get them to end their grudge against each other, he would make them work together.

"Today is about teamwork!"

The cage door (containing the next dragon: A Zippleback) blasted open erupting green gassy fog everywhere.

The four pairs were backed against each other.

"Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which," Gobber instructing, explaining the firepower of the two headed Mystery Class dragon.

Fishlegs again went up to his dragon knowledge let-out mode much to Sigmund's irritation. "Razor sharp, serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion. Prefers ambush attack, by crushing its victims-,'

Sigmund was right now on edge. **"**Will you please stop that?!" he hissed. "I will punch you so hard in the face and the head that you won't remember anything,"

Hester and Garsir were nervous as they had each other's back. "Why don't I take one head and you take the other head?" Hester suggested.

"Good idea," Garsir approved.

Astrid and Ruffnut didn't say anything.

Snotlout and Tuffnut peered anxiously around for the dragon shielded by the gassy fog.** "**If that dragon shows either of his faces, I'm gonna—" Snotlout's warning stopped when he saw something huge standing in the fog. "…there!"

He and Tuffnut drenched their water on the 'dragon' which was actually Astrid and Ruffnut who they mistook as the Zippleback.

"Hey! It's us, idiots!" Ruffnut shouted angrilly.

"Your butts are getting bigger. We thought you were a dragon," Tuffnut sniggered.

"Not that there's anything wrong with a dragon-esque figure," Snotlout flirted. It only earned a mighty punch in the face by Astrid. "- Ow!"

Meanwhile Ruffnut threw her bucket at Tuffnut as payback for saying that their butts were getting bigger. He fell on the ground and suddenly was pulled into the gassy fog still surrounding them. "AHHHH!" he screamed.

"Wait," Astrid stopped, whispering to Ruffnut. Just then, out of nowhere a long green tail sweeped out from behind them and knocked them off their feet, spilling their water.

Tuffnut came out of the misty running like crazy and screaming out. "OH, I'M HURT! I AM VERY MUCH HURT!"

He crashed into Sigmund still with Fishlegs and then into Garsir.

"Tuffnut, you clumsy fool!" they both cursed.

"He's so not goanna be the star of training," Hester muttered angrily as she lifted Garsir up by the hand.

"Chances of survival are dwindling into single-digits now," Fishlegs said scared. His eyes widened when they eyed one of the Zippleback heads emerges from the mist. Without thinking, Fishlegs tossed the water out of its face. That was a mistake. The head angrily spews out some green gas. It wasn't the sparking head.

"Wrong head," Fishlegs muttered feeling idiotic.

The head sprays a large stream of green gas, and Fishlegs dash off screaming like a baby. The head turns its attention to Hiccup and the other head comes into view, spitting electrical sparks. This was the head.

"Now, Hester!" Gobber commanded.

Hester tried with all her strength to toss all the water onto the sparking head but the sparking head was too high for the water to hit.

"Oh, come on!" Hester cursed.

**"Nice try,"** the sparking head goaded.

**"We're goanna eat you,"** the gas spooked as he and his shared head with their shared body as they were about to pounce on Hester. They snarled at her making her fall on her feet

"Hester!" Gobber, Garsir and Sigmund shouted.

They suddenly stood shocked and still as they saw the Zippleback uncannily retreat away from Hester forcing them backwards.

"Back! Back! Back! BACK! Now, don't you make me tell you again!" Hester warned.

"**Alright. Alright. Alright!"** the two heads gave in, pleading with her not to harm her.

The other teenagers looked at her aghast. They had never seen her do that before. Ever. Astrid was the most aghast of all.

"Yes, that's right! Back into your cage. Now think about what you've done," Hester carefully took out the eel from her shoulder inside her vest without anyone seeing. Including Gothi, who was standing up above outside the cage observing her with curiosity. She tossed it inside with the Zippleback. The two heads scrunched against the cage walls.

Hester closed the door and looked back at everyone. Everyone except Sigmund and Garsir (smiling at her) was petrified. Fishlegs dropped his bucket.

"Okay! So, are we done? Because I've got some things!" Hester made her way to the gate with the two boys following her. No one made a move to stop her.

Once they were far away, the three burst into peals of laughter.

"That was amazing!" Sigmund congratulated pulling Hester close to her by her shoulders. "You were fantastic with that eel!"

"You two should have seen the looks on their faces!" Hester giggled so loudly. "They looked like they had seen an actual ghost,"

"You've got to keep this up!" Garsir encouraged.

"What? No!" Hester refused. "I'm not goanna cheat my way like that!"

"You just started doing that!" Garsir reminded.

"I just wanted to see if other dragons besides Night Furies hate eels!" Hester argued.

"Come on!" Sigmund encouraged. "Think of what secrets you can discover with Toothless and how you can use them to excel in their training! You can finally impress your father and your village!"

"But what about you guys?!" Hester asked. "I can't do that without you causing you two to upset or disappoint your families! Why don't you guys use these tricks we might learn from Toothless?"

"No Hester. You're the one who trained Toothless ad earned his trust. You're goanna be the one who's goanna use whatever secrets he has in store to excel in training,"

"Are you sure about this, guys?" Hester asked nervously.

"Oh, we are definitely sure," Garsir proclaimed.

"But we'll only be if you are," Sigmund reasoned. "We have your back every step of the way. We stand by you every step of the way,"

Hester just gave a big smile and nodded.

They went back to the forge after Hester decided to build a saddle. Again, they nailed, hammered, measured, and sewed their new creation. It took hours yet again that they collapsed down on their feet again. The next day, they headed back to the cove and came back to Toothless.

"I told you we would come back," Hester said to him. "Look we made. Ta Da!" she showed Toothless the saddle who looked at it with a questioning look.

"**What is it?"**

"It's a saddle, Toothless," Sigmund answered. "We made for you,"

"**What for?"** Toothless asked.

"Toothless asked: 'What for?'" Hester translated for the boys.

"Toothless, it's so Hester can ride on you," Garsir answered.

Toothless's eyes widened in surprise. **"No way!"** he shouted bounding away. **"I won't be ridden on by anyone,"**

"Toothless come back here!" Hester shouted.

"Stop running you overgrown reptile!" Sigmund chided.

They tried splitting up to get him but Toothless was just too quick. He was speedy on legs just as he was speedy in flight.

"Oh Thor, how fast are you?!" Garsir demanded.

Hours later, the Trio collapsed on their worn-out legs. They still hadn't managed to get the saddle on Toothless. "It's goanna take a miracle to get this saddle on Toothless," Hester lamented as she was panting whilst resting against a rock.

"You're telling us," Sigmund breathed out laying full wide on his back alongside Garsir.

Toothless was resting again on the other side of the cove watching the three panted all for life, especially Hester.

He got curious and decided to walk over to Hester.

"**You guys are worn out,"** he said getting her attention.

"You're the one to talk. You're so fast even on legs," Hester stated, feeling too tired to turn her dreary head. "If you think we're goanna harm you, you're very much mistaken,"

"**That why do you want to ride me with that saddle on my back?"** Toothless questioned gently.

"So that I can help you fly. You can't work with that fin by yourself," Hester reminded Toothless of how he fell into the lake after he tossed her off.

"**Look Hester, I appreciate that you and your best friends are trying to help but I still don't like the idea of someone riding me,"**

"How do you know that unless you've tried it?"

"**Hester…I'm not keen around humans at all aside from you and your friends," **

"I get it. You've spent your whole life fighting them from above," Hester looked into his eyes. "But the boys are not like those other humans. There is something inside you that we see extremely differently from those other dragons. Besides you spared my life so I wish to help you fly again. Please will you trust us with this saddle?"

Toothless gave a small thought and then said reluctantly, **"Okay. I'll do it,"**

He says he'll do it," Hester said over to the boys.

"Yey!" they cheered tiredly.

* * *

**Hope you're all enjoying this story. Thank you Mariah for your continued support and idea. I would like to let all you know that if you look on my profile page, you'll notice one of the new stories for my HTTYD Series is called Legend of the Tifespinners. So none of you get confused, this story includes the discovering of a dragon species that i've made up. **


	10. Improving in Training

**Improving in Training:**

"**Mmmm. Not bad," **Toothless remarked as they fitted the saddle on.

"Now, I'm goanna get on your back," Hester explained. She slowly got onto Toothless's back and the saddle. "Feeling uncomfortable?"

"**Not bad at all, Hester,"** Toothless answered.

"Here's the rope, Hester," Sigmund passed a long rope that he and Garsir had tied to the prosthetic tail fin so Hester could pull it from the saddle.

"Thanks Sig. Now Toothless, wanna give this another shot. I've goanna pull on the rope to pull the fin open so you can fly,"

"**Okay, let's try,"** Toothless flapped his wings and they circled the cove.

"It's working!" Hester cheered as she continuously pulled tightly on the rope to keep the fin open.

Their luck ended when a strong gust of wind blew at them and Hester fell off the saddle and in doing so Toothless plummeted as well. They fell into the lake.

"Are you guys okay?" Garsir asked as their heads popped out.

"We're fine," Hester answered as she rubbed the water out of her eyes and pulled on her hair to drain the water out.

Toothless splashed water in her face wetting her again.

"Toothless!"

Toothless just started laughing.

"That's not funny!" Hester shouted splashing him as well.

"Looks like you're goanna need to find a way to stay on the saddle," Sigmund said. "I think I've got an idea,"

Sigmund's idea was that they would make a riding belt for Hester with a harness that could connect to a hook attached to the saddle.

"Great idea, Sig," Garsir complimented as they saw how Hester was with the new invention that Hester was trying out back in their forge.

* * *

The next day, Garsir and Sigmund stood up at the top of the cove with a list to take notes down as they observed Hester flying on Toothless again with the harness.

"Woah!" Hester cried out as they crash landed into a bed of grass.

"Are you alright?" Sigmund asked whilst he and Garsir helped their best friend up.

"I'm fine," Hester assured.

"Is it just me or is Toothless napping joyfully in that grass?" Garsir pointed at Toothless _rolling in it comfortably and nuzzling it. _

Hester picked up a piece of it and smelt it. "It smells like garlic! It's wonderful,"

"It does," Sigmund agreed giving it a sniff too. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I am. And I'll go through with it if that's what you and Garsir think is right,"

* * *

Later on in another training session, the teens were against the Gronkle again. Hester was holding up a nip of Dragon Nip. The Gronkle had already knocked out Tuffnut. It spotted Hester and started rampaning with its wings towards her.

"I remember you,"

Hester quickly turned her head away and held out the batch of Dragon Nip to her.

The Gronkle stopped as it smelt the delightful scent of Dragon Nip. "Is that Dragon Nip?" she cooed.

Hester rubbed it against her snout and it fell down dazed.

Gothi was more surprised than ever. Dozens of Vikings came to see Hester as they were hearing applauds from Garsir and Sigmund. How was she doing that?

Hester walked out and was greeted with high fives and fist bumps from Garsir dand Sigmund. "You're so amazing," Sigmund said giving her a huge hug.

"We're so proud of you!" Garsir congratulated Hester as well with a hug.

Their moment was cut off unexpectantly by Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins running up to them. Instead of mocking or insulting Hester as usual, they were looking at her with amused, bewildered faces.

"How did you do that?" Snotlout asked.

"Can you teach us?" Ruffnut asked appraisingly.

"Can you teach me?" Tuffnut flirted. Sigmund crossed his eyebrows at him.

"Wanna join us?" Fishlegs offered.

"I'm already hanging out with Sigmund and Garsir if you guys don't mind. And plus, you all are mean to me," Hester refused.

"Come on Hester," Tuffut pleaded. "Just this once,"

"Not interested!" Hester responded turning away and continuing on her way.

"If you guys are interested, you should have started being interested in her years ago," Sigmund pointed out.

"No way is she hanging out with any of you. Not on our watch," Garsir supported as he helped lead Hester away.

"We'll still goanna be interested in you no matter what, Hester!" all the teens except a jealous Astrid called out to her. "You're goanna be our hero,"

* * *

Back inside the cove again, Hester was giving Toothless a nice soothing scratch that he had required in order to deal with all the itching he was suffering from.

"**Oh, that feels lovely,"** Toothless cooed happily. **"Under the neck please,"**

"Of course," Hester replied. She scratched under his chin. Right away, Toothless slumped down falling asleep.

"Another new trick," Sigmund noted down in a notepad.

"Oh Thor, this just keeps getting better and better," Garsir examined.

* * *

The teens were against the Nadder again. Astrid tossed her axe like a frisbee at the Nadder but it bounced off the Nadder's crown of spikes. She dodged out the way as it rampaged at her. The Nadder was in front of Hester but it stopped when it saw Hester drop her sword.

"**You're not goanna hurt me?"** the Nadder asked in a female voice.

"I won't," Hester ensured that her speaking wasn't too loud so no one would notice and become suspicious about her mysterious gift.

The Nadder's spine crowns spiked up when it she heard an ear-piercing battle scream from Astrid. She was raging with fury as she was charging at the dragon with her axe.

Quick as she could, Hester scratched the Nadder under the chin. She let down her guard and suddenly fell asleep.

Astrid huffed and growled in anger when she missed her chance.

"Don't look at me like that," Hester responded. "You need to learn better tactics,"

She walked away ignoring Astrid scowling growl at her.

Inside the hall, Hester was sitting all by herself as usual with Garsir and Sigmund where dozens of Vikings including nearly all the teens started swooning all over her from all directions asking her questions like "How did you do that?" or "When did you learn to do that?"

Hester was feeling more uncomfortable than ever.

"Maybe we should get you out of here," Sigmund quickly pulled Hester by the arm and they and Garsir started sprinting down the stairs outside the Hall, followed by all the swooners not wanting to miss seeing their new role model.

They ran past

"Maybe this wasn't just a good idea," Garsir thought as he and Sigmund eyed an overwhelmed Hester sitting down having a drink.

"We're so sorry about all this Hester," Sigmund said sadly to her.

"Oh, don't worry guys, I've dealt with much worse," Hester assured looking up at them.. "I won't end my friendship with you guys at all. And besides you guys only wanted what was best for me and I appreciate everything you boys do for me. I'll never ever forget that,"

* * *

On the next visit, another new fact was found out. Hester created a dot of light with her hammer as the sunlight reflected it. Toothless started chasing it. "Hey, come back light!" Toothless pursued the dot of light.

"You can't catch the light, buddy," Hester said over to him.

"You just wait and see," Toothless responded back not looking back at her.

"Here you try," Hester encouraged Sigmund and he gleefully took the hammer with a thank you and started playing about with it to make the light move everywhere.

"This is so fun," Sigmund said after Hester gave him a chance. "He can't catch light and he doesn't even know it,"

"He's just like a pussy cat chasing light,"

* * *

"Meet the Terrible Terror!" Gobber opened a tiny flap revealing a small green and yellow dragon with small horns and wide round yellow eyes.

The teens burst out laughing.

"Ha! That's like the size of my—" Tuffnut started to say as he laughed at the size of the small dragon only for the small dragon to pound up onto his face. "AH! GET IT OFF! OH, I'M HURT! I AM VERY MUCH HURT!"

The Terrible Terror let go of his red sore nose when he spotted a spot of light. He started following it trying to catch it as it was leading back to his cage. **"Come back, light,"**

Hester was smiling as she was creating the spot of light with the centre of her shield.

"Wow, she's better than you _ever_ were," Tuffnut complimented as he and the teens still eyed her with wonder. Although she did want to talk to either of them, that didn't stop them from admiring her new talents.

Astrid frowned as Hester directed the Terror back into its cage.

"Now you're goanna feel what it's like to be considered a failure," Garsir mocked from Astrid's side. "This is your payback for what said to her,"

"It seems the only one who is nothing right now is you," Sigmund smirked.

* * *

Astrid let out her anger, throwing her axe from tree to tree. As she was doing so, she imitated Garsir and Sigmund's words in the most angry way possible.

'Slash' went the axe into bark. "'Feel what it's like to be considered a failure'!" Astrid ranted pulling it out before aiming it into another tree. 'Slash' " 'The only one who is nothing is you'!"

She pulled out the axe again and started running, performing a rolling roll and just before she could loosen her axe, she realised she was aiming for Hester, Sigmund and Garsir.

"Hey, watch where you're throwing before you kill someone!" Hester shouted.

"Honestly Astrid, let out your anger like that is not appropriate!" Sigmund pointed out.

"You guys are one to talk!" Astrid shouted. "If you think you guys can mock me like that you're quite mistaken!"

"Well, if you think you can get away with what you unrightfully let out at Hester, you're quite mistaken as well," Sigmund responded back crossing his arms and frowing his eyebrows.

"This is what you get for acting like you're better than everyone else," Garsir pointed out.

"Now we bid you 'Adue!" Hester farewelled with sarcasm before they disappeared behind the boulder.

Astrid tried to follow them but a moment later when she peered round for them, they had disappeared.

She growled in anger and punched her fist on the rock. "I swear I'm goanna beat that Hester if that's the last thing I do," she swore to herself.

The three made it to the forest.

"I never thought I'd say this but I'm enjoying Astrid being in this mood," Hester said happily.

"I know right," Sigmund agreed firmly. "She's now getting a taste of her own medicine,"

"Let's talk about Hofferson anymore please," Garsir begged. "It's just bringing back some horrible memories,"

They made it to cove so they could finish the final part of Toothless's riding gear. Whilst Hester pulled the rope from the fin and connected it to saddle's new stirrups (so that with her foot clicking into the left one she could pull the fin out at different angles from Toothless's back), Sigmund and Garsir fed him some more fish and scratched his chin.

Toothless had become very used to the boys because of how committed they were to Hester. Inside them like with Hester, he saw something very different compared to other vikings.

The three humans and the dragon were on the edge of a cliff testing out the riding gear. Toothless was gliding in the air whilst he attached to a stump by a rope. On the saddle, Hester practice the new riding gear and made some small drawings on fin positions.

"So far so good," Garsir said from one side.

"Everything alright on there Hester?" Sigmund asked concerned.

"Everything's…GOOOOOOOD!" Hester screamed when the rope snapped and the wind blew her and Toothless into the forest with a crash.

"Oh my Thor, are you guys okay?" Garsir stumbled forward. "Nothing broken I hope,"

"We're okay," Hester assured as she lifted her head up. Toothless rolled up on his feet and stood but unintentionally lifted Hester up doing by her grappling hook.

"Oh dear, the grappling hook's bent meaning you can't disconnect from Toothless," Sigmund drily said as he saw the grapping hook on Toothless's saddle bent.

"Oh, great," Hester cursed. "I'm stuck to Toothless until we can get this disconnected. Did any of you boys bring some tools?"

Sigmund and Garsir quickly searched the satchels and pockets. No luck.

"Sorry Hester, I left them at the blacksmiths shop," Garsir apologized.

"Wait, I know what you're thinking and it's 'No!'" Sigmund refused knowing what this was goanna mean.

The three snuck into town that night by the time just about everyone would be asleep.

"Guys, we're goanna get caught!" Sigmund hissed.

"If you keep hissing like that we will!" Garsir hissed. "Look, we just gotta get Toothless inside my dad's forge, disconnect Hester from the saddle and then get him out again. You see simple as that,"

"If by simple, you mean only successful if no one spots us earning us a one way ticket to banishment,"

"Guys, this is no time for arguments," Hester silenced them. "Let's just get myself disconnected as soon as possible,"

The three finally made it to the forge. Toothless started peering around but his face got stuck in a bucket. He managed to flick it off but it crashed into some objects creating a small clattering sound.

Astrid was walking in the plaza when she heard 'clattering' from Gobber's forge. Her eyes frowned. Her lips stiffened. Her fists became clenched.

"Hello, anyone? Are you in there?" Astrid asked loudly as she took slow steps to the forge.

The three humans jumped on their feet.

"If Astrid finds us, we're dead," Hester whispered fearfully as she feared the consequences. "One of us has to distract her. I can't go out there,"

"I am certainly not going out there," Garsir immediately refused, shaking his head. He would die first before talking to that selfish Hofferson again.

"Fine! I'll do it!" Sigmund hissed silently. "But you guys keep quiet and hurry,"

Sigmund tiptoed over to the entrance and startled Astrid with a single 'Boo!'"

"Don't scare me like that Sigmund!" Astrid ranted.

"Well, what are you doing here when you should be at home?" Sigmund questioned crossing his arms.

"I could ask you the same thing," Astrid counter question crossing her arms as well whilst keeping a frim, strong grip on her axe.

"I'm just here to collect something I left behind,"

"Look - I normally don't care what people do, but you, Hester and Garsir are acting weird,"

"Hey, you can't judge people like that," Sigmund retorted pointing a finger at her. "Look Astrid, I'm goanna ask one simple thing. Just – one – simple question. What did Hester and ever do to you to get you to end your friendship with her? Which in turn made Garsir end his friendship with you because of how selfishly you acted like that,"

"That's none of your business,"

"It is my business! Because not a day goes that my very best friends can't ever forget the pain you brought them,"

Astrid was still silent – not giving in.

"You know what? – you just go home and hurt people, it's what you do best," Sigmund ordered.

"You don't tell me what to do!" Astrid dryly said back.

Inside Garsir and Hester were struggling to disconnect Hester from the saddle. Garsir took a knife and with a might tug, he cut the rope.

"Finally," Hester cheered quietly. "Good work, Garsir,"

"**Well done!"** Toothless complimented but as he did a light jump for joy, his tail knocked into shelves sending them into one another and knocking them down on the floor creating an atmosphere in 'cling' 'clash' and 'clatter.

"Now you've done it, Toothless," Garsir hissed at the Night Fury for accidently knocking down shelves of new swords.

Astrid tried to go inside but Sigmund blocked her way.

"Go home!" he ordered.

"I'm going in and you don't wanna get in my way!"

"You're not getting past me!" Sigmund tried to back Astrid away by pushing against her axe held in both her outstretched hands.

Instead of being backed down, Astrid hit the handle of her axe into Sigmund's face and he fell down. She dashed into the forge but no one was there. Only a pile of fallen swords.

"What happened in here?" she demanded turning back to Sigmund. But he had disappeared. Vanished into thin air. She sprinted into the plaza to try and find him. There was no sign.

What she didn't realise was that far above her heads, there was a Night Fury carrying three humans with Hester at the front.

"I swear I'm goanna get back at Astrid for what she did!" she sneered through her teeth.

Behind Garsir was facing Sigmund, pressing a cloth against his wounded face. The three flew back to the cove. They decided to camp out there for the Night. Sigmund and Garsir had quickly left a note at their families houses saying that they wanted to sleep over at Hester's home for the night as a congratulations treat for her excelling in training. Hopefully, they wouldn't mind.

"**Well, this day has been very eventful,"** Toothless said.

"Well bud, the boys and I decided that we would like to camp here for the night," Hester told him. "That way you won't be on your own,"

"**Really?"**

"Yes, really!"

"Well, I don't know about you gusy but I'm quite tired," Sigmund said tiredly as he was rubbing his dozing off eyes.

"Me too!" Garsir did a roaring yawn.

Toothless laid down. As he saw the three laying down some blankets that they'd bought, he opened up his wings offering them a better source of not just warmth, but also comfort.

"You don't have to do that Toothless," Hester kindly refused.

"**I insist, Hester,"** Toothless responded. **"I trust you and the guys,'**

"You trust us?"

"**Yes,"**

Hester crawled under his wing and it felt so cozy. "You guys, you've gotta come under here,"

"Are you sure he can include all of us?" Garsir asked a bit doubtfully.

"**Yes!"** Toothless answered.

"He said 'Yes!'" Hester translated.

The boys came under and laid close to Hester. Toothless closed his wing over them and they all felt snuggly, buggly all together. It felt so nice. They fell asleep straight away.

* * *

**Hope this story is so fun and enjoyable for all of you. Thank Mariah for all your continued support, about Sigmund and Garsir having dragons of their own, they'll definately get their own. Just not in this story. If you go to my profile and see the next two stories listed after How to Train your Dragon (My Version), you'll see the answer. **


	11. A Flight around the Island

**A Flight around the Island:**

A group of burnt, highly damaged ships arrived at the dock the next morning. Gobber awaited Stoick, looking angry, aggrivated and disappointed in himself.

"Well, I trust you found the nest at least?" Gobber asked hoping for some luck.

"Not even close," Stoick lamented.

"Ah. Excellent," Gobber replied sarcastically as he offered to take Stoick's sack.

"I hope you had a little more success than me," Stoick hoped.

"Well, if by success, you mean that your parenting troubles are over with, then... yes," Gobber surprised him.

"What?" Stoick asked shocked, feeling surprised that this was about Hester.

"Congratulations, Stoick!" Phlegma exclaimed as she ran up to him with Starkard, Hoark the Haggard and Ack. "Everyone is so relieved,"

"Out with the old and in with the new, right?!" Starkard asked excitedly as he jumping around for joy.

"She is so spectacular!" Ack shouted joyfully.

"The village is throwing a party to celebrate!" Hoark the Haggard celebrated enthusiastically.

Stoick turned pale. "She's gone?"

"Yeah... most afternoons with my boy and Sigmund. But who can blame her? I mean the life of a celebrity's very rough. She can barely walk through the village without being swarmed by her new fans.

"Hester?" Stoick asked.

"Who would've thought, eh? She has this _way_ with the beasts," Gobber explained. He then started telling Stoick everything that had happened whilst he was away.

* * *

Hester and Toohtless were enjoying a wonderful flight on the far side of the island. Sigmund and Garsir were seated behind her holding on tight.

"Okay there, bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow. Here we go. Here we go... position three, no, four!" Hester twisted her stirrup up and the tail fin was let out.

"**Okay, so far. So good,"** Toothless muttered.

They did a slow curving turn in the air. They were soon just gliding metres above the sea. "Isn't this great?" Garsir asked.

"It is great," Sigmund agreed.

"Alright, it's go time. It's go time. Come on, buddy, come on, buddy!" Toothless dove diagonally down to the sea and they were soon soaring right above the sea. Garsir leaned over and touched the cold water with his hand. "This is so fun!" he squealed for fun.

"Now this is freedom!" Sigmund commented.

The dragon carrying three humans passed underneath a sea stack and underneath flocks of seagulls.

"Yes, it worked!" Hester cheered.

"Things are working like a charm," Sigmund said happily.

_Just when things seemed to go well, they flew into a sea stack. _

"Sorry!" Hester shouted.

"I take it back," Sigmund regretted.

Right after that they bumped into another sea stack.

"Sorry again, everyone!" Hester shouted.

"Can't you steer properly?!" Garsir demanded.

"Hey, this steering thing is all new to me!" Hester responded.

"**That's for making me crash into a stack,"**_ Toothless slapped on his ear flaps into Hester's face._

"_Okay, I deserved that," Hester muttered. _

"Position four, uh, three," Toothless started flying up higher and higher back into the clouds. "Yeah! Go baby!" Hester encouraged enjoying it more than ever.

"Yes! Oh, this is amazing!" Garsir called out excitedly.

"Doesn't it feel great? The wind in your hair?" Sigmund asked outloud.

Just when they were all enjoying it, Hester's small sheet for the fin positions flew out of its holder. "CHEAT SHEET! STOP!"

Toothless stopped in midair but Hester slipped off the saddle as her safety hook unfastened. The boys slipped off as well.

Soon everyone started plumeting to the surface below.

"Ahh!" Hester screamed.

"I can't FLYYYYYYYY!" Toothless screamed.

"I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Garsir squealed like a baby.

"If we don't make it - just remember that I love you guys!" Sigmund shouted.

"Come on guys!" Hester managed to grab ont othe edge of Toothless's saddle as they were falling and pullled herself on. "Grab my hand!" she shouted reaching out her left hand to Sigmund.

Sigmund gripped it tightly and then gripped Garsir's hand tightly.

With all her strength, Hester pulled the boys onto the saddle behind her before attaching herself back to the saddle. They were not goanna slip off again. "Hold on!" she screamed. "We're not goanna die hurry!"

"You gotta hurry, Hester!" Toothless shouted. "There's a maze of stacks up ahead!"

Hester's eyes widened and her heart lept up in fear. She tried to memorize the sheet but there was no time.

"Hester, don't use the sheet!" Sigmund shouted. "Use your smartness! You don't need a sheet to being able to help Toothless fly!"

Hester let go of the sheet and narrowed her eyes as she leaned further into the saddle. She clicked the stirrup up and down at different angles causing the fin to contiouously change positions allowing Toothless to smoothly steer them all swiftly through and round the stack in the gigantic maze laid out on the ocean.

Until finally they were back over laid out ocean with no obstacles ahead for them to dodge.

"YEEAHHH!" Hester cheered with her arms in the air. She now felt more confident in flying Toothless. She didn't need that sheet to help her steer Toothless. She just needed confidence in herself.

"You did it, Hester!" Garsir cheered and congratulated his best friend. "You're amazing at flying!"

"I knew you could do it," Sigmund said approvingly behind her. Hester turned her face to him and they shared a deep smile.

"**Oh, don't you two start!"** Toothless ordered noticing them.

"Start what?" Hester asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Toothless fibbed. He blasted a plasma blast ahead and headed towards it.

"Oh, come on!" Hester moaned.

"Just not our day!" Garsir moaned as they went through it.

The four settled down on a nearby island made of rocks of all types, stumps and stacks. The three humans were singled in ash. Although the boys were behind Hester, they didn't want to use her a shield so they decided to take the risks and get a bit sooty as well.

"Here any of you three want this?" Toothless gurgled up a piece of eaten fish.

"Oh no bud. Thanks but I'm good," Hester gently refused roasting her fish over small fish.

"All yours buddy," Sigmund replied.

"Wouldn't want to take your food when we have our own," Garsir reasoned after taking a bite out of his cooked fish.

Despite the fact the two couldn't understand Toothless, unlike Hester, they could still be able to understand him any actions he does. They knew him well enough to do that.

Just when they were enjoying their nice moment all together, they heard soft roars. They turned and saw a flock of Terrible Terrors of different colours flying towards them.

"Ahh, a family of Terrors," Garsir cooed.

While he, Hester and Sigmund seemed to like the look of seeing them, Toothless growled protectively pulling all the fish close to himsef.

The Terrors landed and walked over to them. They didn't view the humans as a threat at all.

"Can I have some of your fish?" a green Terror asked Toothless.

"No!" he bit at him.

Whilst the greedy black dragon was distracted with the green Terror, a yellow Terror snuck the fish-half that Toothless had coughed up.

"Hey!" she shouted.

"This is all mine!" the Terror mocked. "Hey, stay away!" it roared at a red Terror and fired at it with a long stream of fire.

Toothless noticed a dead fish was walking out of the pile. A green and orange Terror was stealing one away. It grabbed the fish and with just a simple tug, he pulled it free and swallowed it whole.

"**Beated you!"** he mocked.

"**Come on!"** the Terror pleaded. **"Can't I have some fish?"**

"**Nope!" **Toothless responded greedily.

"**You meanie! I ought fire at you!"** the Terror opened its mouth wide open to fire, whilst it flapped up, but Toothless, quick as a whip, fired into his mouth.

The Terror landed on its stomach and smoke was puffed through its nostrils and mouth.

Toothless smirked. It dropped when he saw Hester glaring at him. **"What?"**

"That wasn't nice. The poor guy's hungry," Hester looked sympathetically at the Terror. "Not so fireproof on the inside, are you? Here you go," she tossed the Terror her fish and he swallowed it whole.

"**Thank you,"** the Terror said gratefully.

"You're very welcome,"

"**You understand me?"**

"Yes. I don't know how but I just can uncannily understand dragons," Hester spoke awkwardly.

"**If anything, it's a very special gift,"** The Terror complimented. It purred softly as it came on Hester's lap and it fell asleep. Hester stroked it and it lazily laid its head against her chest.

"Everything we know about you guys – is wrong," Hester said as she stroked the Terrible Terror.

"If only Vikings knew this then this war could have ended centuries ago," Garsir said.

"You see Hester, because of you and Toothless peace just might be achievable," Sigmund believed as he was reminding her of what he had suggested weeks ago.

"I still don't know about that," Hester replied doubtfully. "Vikings are strong-headed, ignorant and not exactly open to listening to stuff like this,"

"Hester, how do you know that unless you try?" Sigmund encouraged.

"Sigmund might be right," Garsir had taken into account what he was saying. "You could at least try,"

"I'll have a think about it," Hester simply said. "But for now, I just want to put it to one side for a while – if you guys don't mind,"

"We don't mind at all," Sigmund assured. "Like we said, we'll stand by your side no matter what you decided to do,"

Hester smiled at them again but then held her head down. Toothless noticed aside from the boys and looked sorrowfully at her.

"**Are you alright, Hester?"**

"Toothless, it's just – I don't understand how I can understand dragons. I really would love to know why,"

"**I'm sorry but I can't tell you what you wish to know because I don't know," **Toothless answered. **"Was there anything – that – I don't know – happened to you when you were younger that involved something do with dragons?"**

"I don't think so Toothless. I've been harmed by one or anything. However when i was a baby, i received this scar..." she pointed to a small white line on her chin that had simply scarred it for the past 15 years of her life, "...on a dragon the night my - the night my mother..." she couldn't finish as her eyes started spiling a few tears.

Sigmund and Garsir highly knew the event about Valka (Stoick's wife and Hester's mother) being taken by a large four winged dragon. It tragically affected Stoick to have no wife by his side and Hester to have no mother to raise her alongside an overprotective father. It was just so overbearing for them. Hester had only her mother's necklace to remember her by. Sigmund pulled her close and hugged her by the side.

**"I'm so sorry, Hester,"** Toothless said licking her cheek. He gave her a moment to dry her tears before he continued on. **"Don't you think the dragon who gave you that scar could be the reason you can understand dragons?"**

"I don't think so," Hester answered. "I mean it may have scratched me but no blood from the dargon who anything else got into my body that could potentionally give me this strange ability,"

**"Then what could it be?"** Toothless asked feeling disappointed that he couldn't help her.

Hester lamented. "I don't know why I have this gift - but I will found out sooner or later,"

For the next hour, the three stroked the Terrors and gave them more fish to eat – until it was time to head back to the village. They hopped onto Toothless and flew back to the cove. They said goodbye to Toothless and headed back to the village to their houses.

* * *

**Just so you all know Garsir and Sigmund will get their own dragons, just not in this story. They will in Legend of the Boneknapper and Legend of the Tifespinner (note to say the Tifespinner is a made up dragon species). As for Hester's gift, she may or may not found out why she had this gift in this story so may find out in another story. Hope you're all enjoying it. **


	12. Winning in Training

**Winning the Right: **

Hester was upstairs in her room at her desk lying her head down thinking about everything. She was twirling with her pencil and it rolled up and down in a rolling mood.

"Hester!" her father called from outside. He trotted up the stairs to her room and came into her sight.

"Dad! You're back!" she said alarmed as she pushed her pictures behind her back.

"I know. I came looking for you," he said.

"You did?" Hester asked surprised. This had never happened before.

"You've been keeping secrets.

"I... have?"

"Just how long did you think you could hide it from me?

"I don't know what you're..." Hester started to say.

"Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it," Stoick stated pointing his finger down on her nearby table to prove his point.

"Oh?" Hester was starting to feel very nervous.

"So. Let's talk about that dragon," Stoick crossed his arms.

"Oh, gods," Hester cursed under her breath. "Dad I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how to—"

She noticed that he was actually smiling at her.

"You're not... upset?" she asked surprised.

"What?! I was hoping for this!" Stoick shrieked in delight.

"Uh... you were?" Hester asked nervously.

"And believe me, it only gets better! Just wait 'till you spill a Nadder's guts for the first time!" Stoick enthusiastically started. "And mount your first Gronckle head on a spear! WHAT A FEELING! You really had me going there, dear! All those years of the _worst_ Viking Berk has ever seen!"

When he said, he unintentionally hurt Hester's feelings so much. She never ever wanted him to say that.

"Odin, it was rough! I almost gave up on you! And all the while, you were holding out on me! OH, THOR ALMIGHTY! Ah. With you doing so well in the ring, we _finally_ have something to talk about!"

"Oh, that's great!" Hester replied as happily as she could, though there was a hint of sarcasim.

"Oh, I... brought you something. To keep you safe in the ring," Stoick held up a round Viking helmet and Hester slowly took it from his hands.

"Wow. Thanks," Hester said.

"Your mother would've wanted you to have it. It's half of her breast plate," Stoick said to her. He was slightly struggling with his speaking as he was just reminding himself and his daughter of Valka. "Matching set. Keeps her close, you know? Wear it proudly. You deserve it. You've held up your end of the deal. You look so much like her,"

"I should really get to bed," Hester yawned wanting to bring herself out of the conversation as it was overwhelming her feelings.

"Well, uh... good night," were Stoick's final words as he went downstairs. Hester turned back to her desk and placed down the helmet. Then right after that, she went to her window and jumped down to the ground below. Next, she was sprinting through the forest overcome with emotion.

* * *

Toothless was resting in the cove, sleeping and thinking about Hester. He suddenly jolted up when his enhanced hear captured the sound of running steps heading right into the cove. He turned and saw Hester running breathlessly towards him.

He bounded to her. **"Are you okay, Hester?"**

Hester landed on her knees.

"**Please Hester, tell me what's wrong?"** Toothless nuzzled her face.

"My dad said selfish things to me (in his own nice way) and I was reminded of my mother again," Hester panted out as tears streamed down her eyes.

**"Oh, Hester. Please tell me everywhere," **Toothless curled his body and bought Hester closer to his head as she sat down.

"He said that I was the worse Viking on Berk ever and that he had almost given up on me. It's almost like he's always thought of me as nothing more than a nuisance who is so easy to create accidents and make things harder on Berk," Hester said in tears. "He always gave me a helmet – made from my mother's breastplate and I was reminded of her death,"

**"Oh, Hester, I am so sorry,"** Toothless sorrowfully said, hating her father already because of those words and for what Hester had been through. **"What kind of father does that?"**

"One who is bigger and stronger than you and who doesn't accept you for who you really are. It's not just him but until up to a few weeks ago, everyone apart from Sigmund, Garsir and Garsir's father Gobber looked down on me for being weak,"

**"You're anything but weak. You're special. I mean – so what if you're different?"** Toothless asked rhetorically. **"Differences make us all special. You found it in your heart to befriend the deadliest dragon of all despite all the centuries of Vikings and dragons fighting each other. You made your best friends Sigmund and Garsir see how peace was possible. I'm starting to think that maybe peace is possible,"**

"I still don't really know about that," Hester whimpered. "My father would never understand me. Nor would he ever listen to me. Ever since I was little, he's always looked down at me and acted like I wasn't good enough for me. It's almost like – he doesn't really love me – even – if he acts like he does,"

She started crying in her hands feeling alone. Toothless whimped and pulled her closer to her. He wrapped her into his paws gently and tightly. Hester accepted it and felt safe with him. As he cradled her as they both laid down, Toothless started singing a sweet lullaby. One that he felt was just for her.

"_**My precious one, my tiny one, lay down your pretty head.  
My dearest one my sleepy one, its time to go to bed**_

_**My precious one, my darling one; don't let your lashes weep.  
My cherished one, my weary one; it's time to go to sleep.**_

_**Just bow your head and give your cares to me.  
Just close your eyes and fall into the sweetest dream, cause in my loving arms.  
You're safe as you will ever be so hush my dear and sleep.**_

_**And in your dreams you'll ride on angels' wings.  
Dance with the stars and touch the face of god  
And if you should awake...**_

_**I'll kiss your little cheek  
And underneath the smiling moon  
I'll send you back to sleep,"**_

Soon they both fell asleep.

Inside this warm embrace, Hester felt something so powerful. The love from a dragon. For nearly all of her life, she had no proper love from her father. Nor any other sort of love from her clan apart from Garsir, Sigmund and slightly Gobber.

But Toothless had given her that one thing she felt she could feel from no other being aside from Garsir and Sigmund.

His song had made her feel cared for and loved by him.

* * *

Tweet. Tweet. Tweet.

Hester awoke the sound of birds tweeting. Toothless (already awake) sensed her body awaking from its slumber and opened his wings to set Hester free from his protective warmth-providing cocoon.

Hester yawned and stretched her arms. "Good morning, Toothless,"

"**Good morning Hester,"**

"Your singing was so sweet," Hester complimented. "I've never ever heard any song like that in my life,"

"**Thank you,"**

Hester suddenly realised she had to get back to the village before her father noticed she was missing. "I'm so sorry again, Toothless but I've got to get back to my village otherwise my dad will kill me,"

"**Okay. Promise me you'll come back,"** Toothless begged with puppy eyes. **"And take the boys too. They're special for accepting you and standing by your side all your life,"**

"I promise," Hester hugged his head and kissed his head before jolting out of the cove, through the woods and back to her house as fast as her well-rested legs could easily carry her.

She made it to the side of her house without anyone noticing. She climbed up and jumped through her window. Her heart felt like it was punched as she heard footsteps coming up. Quick as whip, she hopped into her bed, pulled the blanket over her body and feigned sleeping.

Stoick came up and found his daughter 'sleeping'. "Rise and shine dear!" he spoke out.

Hester 'awoke' to his wake-up call and feigned yawning.

"Ready for the final lesson before the exam which I know you will achieve in?"

"Yes, dad," Hester bluntly answered as politely as she could as he was also her chief. "I'm so excited,"

"Then what are you waiting for? Get up and ready!"

It was the final lesson in which the Elder Gothi would declare who would win the honor of killing the Monstrous Nightmare. In this final lesson, it would be Astrid vs Hester for the honor.

Sigmund and Garsir were standing by Stoick eagerly watching their best friend. They were so proud of her.

The Gronkle was hovering around the Arena looking around for Astrid and Hester. "Where are you two?" It was difficult to spot it because there were square wooden barriers where Astrid and Hester could possibly be hiding behind.

It had just passed by barrier where Hester was hiding. She was wearing her mother's helmet and was carrying a shield and a sword. Astrid had dodged the Gronkle and landed next to her, much to her distaste. She tried to move away but Astrid grabbed the top of her shield and pulled her down.

"Stay out of my way! I'm winning this thing!" Astrid warned.

"Well you stay out of my way!" Hester warned. "I'm not goanna get shouted again by you!" she moved away before Astrid could threaten her or worse do something to her.

"You got it Astrid!" Astrid's parents Ingrid and Asher called from above. They desperatly wanted their daughter to win so badly.

"This time! This time, for sure!" she vowed. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" she battle-cried as she was leapt over three small walls to strike the large Boulder Class dragon.

She stopped in shock when she saw the Gronkle lying flat on its side near a successful Hester.

Astrid went into an angry tantrum.** "**NO! NO! DAUGTHER OF HALF-TROLL, RAT-EATING MUNGE BUCKET!" she moaned swinging her axe around and brutally bashing it against all the wooden fences.

"Wait! Wait!" Stoick shouted, silencing the crowd.

"So, I'm off now. So later," Hester tried to walk away but she was grabbed by the hood with Gobber.

"Not so fast!" Gobber stopped her.

"I'm kinda late for—" Hester started to say.

"_What?!_ Late for _what_, exactly?!" Astrid demanded trapping Hester's neck between the two ends of her double-headed axe.

"You leave her alone!" Garsir shouted pointing hatefully at Astrid.

"Touch her again and I'll break your axe in half," Sigmund threatened too from up above.

"Okay, quiet down. The Elder has decided!" Stoick proclaimed.

Gobber brought Hester and Astrid to the front. He pointed his finger over Astrid's head.

Gothi shook her head meaning 'No'

Sigmund and Garsir smirked with pride. Now Astrid could get finally get a taste of her medicine and see what it's like to be looked down on for being a 'failure'.

Their feelings turned from pride to anxiety as they saw Garsir's dad point a finger of a nervously awkward Hester leading to Gothi nodding with approval. They were now feeling guilty for convincing Hester to excel in her training with what they had secretly learnt from Toothless. Now she was expected to kill a dragon. But she couldn't. Because she had come to love them.

"You've done it! You've done it, Hester! You get to kill the dragon!" Gobber excitedly hugged her from the side.

"Ha, ha! That's my girl!" Stoick shouted looking down on her proudly more than he had ever done or hadn't done in his life before.

Sigmund and Garsir rushed into the Arena and pretended to hug Hester feeling proud of her. Hester played along using fake smiles and excitement. Much to her annoyance, Snotlout, the twins and Fishlegs (who still continued to pamper her despite the fact she didn't want anything to do with her) rushed forward and clapped.

Gobber lifted her up onto her shoulders and carried her around.

"I'm so – I'm so…" Hester played along as best as she could along with the boys. But deep in her heart, she knew that she couldn't stay here any longer at all.

* * *

**Thank you so much everyone for your continued support. I actually need a bit of help with the next chapter when Astrid discovers the secret. I don't think Toothless could carry four humans and Sigmund and Garsir would not like the idea of Astrid flying with Hester and Toothless. If any of you could send an idea, that would be most helpful. Or maybe, just maybe there could be something entirely different that doesn't involve Astrid learning the secret yet. **

**Please send an idea as soon as possible.**


	13. The Dragon Nest Found

**The Island Found: **

"LEAVING! We're leaving," Hester had sneaked down into the cove carrying a large basket. She couldn't stay on Berk anymore. "Let's pack up. Looks like you and me are taking a little vacation, forever,"

"If you think you're leaving here without us, you're quite mistaken," a voice spooked her.

She turned round and saw Garsir and Sigmund carrying smaller baskets.

"Hester, we're coming with you," Sigmund said to her.

"No, no, no guys!" Hester refused. "I can't let you two come when you have families that will miss you a lot,"

"Hester, we go where you go. We stand where you stand," Garsir stated.

"Besides, our true family is you and Toothless," Sigmund said wholeheartedly.

They all just shared a warm family group hug. The three were all suddenly enveloped by Toothless wrapping his wings around them.

* * *

Inside her house, Astrid was being scolded by her parents.

"How could you lose like that?!" Ingrid demanded furiously with her crossed eyebrows and scrunched up fists placed against her hips.

"This was your chance to restore honor to our family!" Asher cursesd.

"It's not my fault!" Astrid shouted back. "It's that Hester's! Her and her new skills that no one else can do! If anything I think she's being trained by someone. Maybe Sigmund or Garsir!"

"If you really think that's true – then I just you go and found out now!" Ingrid ordered.

"I will not see you get outshined another time by Hester!" Asher's voice was soft but stern.

Astrid left the house and decided to head to the forest where Hester, Sigmund and Garsir often sneaked off to. Her fingers curved tightly around the handle of her axe and her teeth sneered. She ready to get her answers once and for all.

* * *

The baskets had been strapped sercurly to the sides of the saddle whilst the three humans were enjoying another ride from Toothless. They would set out for anywhere. Anywhere not likely to be inhabited by humans who hated dragons.

"I never thought I'd say this but I'm glad to be leaving," Hester admitted.

"Me too," Sigmund agreed.

The two noticed that Garsir at the back was very quiet.

"Hey, you okay Garsir?" Hester asked concerned for him.

"I'm okay,"

"You're not okay, pal," Sigmund corrected shaking his head as he turned it to look at him. "We can easily tell when you're lying,"

"I'm just gonna miss my father, so much. I know he and I haven't always seen each other eye to eye ever since my mother died but – I still will miss him a lot,"

"We can always turn back," Hester offered.

"No, where you guys go, that's where I go," Garsir refused shaking his head. "Besides…I've got one of his spare hooks to remember him by," he held up one of his father's oldest hooks. There was another thing – or person he might miss. It was slightly Astrid. Despite the fact that he hated her so much because of how mean and selfish she was to Hester, Garsir really liked her a lot when they were children before their friendship broke. When it broke, Garsir dreamed that one day their friendship would be restored. Hester knew of that but never judged him for it; she completely understood. That wish blew away when Sigmund came into their lives, giving them the true friendship and bond that they needed to repair their lonely hearts.

"You're not the only one who feels like that," Sigmund gave in. "I will miss my adoptive parents. Not sure about Fishlegs though – it's just I know he's resented me ever since I was adopted into his family but there was a time – when I wanted to have a brother more than anything,"

"I think I might miss my dad just a little bit," Hester made herself say. "He was after all, the only parent I ever had, my whole life. Problaby the only thing I had of my mother besides my necklace and helmet,"

Sadness was taken in by the three. Although they didn't consider Berk their home because of how unhappy they felt, there were still only a few things they missed more than ever.

Toothless noticed how unhappy they were. **"I know what will make you guys feel better,"**

"What, Toothless?" Hester asked, not hearing him properly as she was distracted in her thoughts.

"**Enjoy the beauty of the high skies,"** Toothless suddenly went up higher and higher into the pink, peachy clouds.

"What are you doing Toothless?" Sigmund asked holding tighter around Hester's waist whilst Garsir's hooked tighter around his.

Toothless didn't answer. He just continued going higher up until the whole air around them was just cloudy. With nothing around them but fresh air and fluffy clouds, it seemed to the three that they were experiencing something they had never felt before. Freedom.

The three riders reached up and touch the clouds. They were so soft and light as feathers. Soon as they went through a wall of cloud, the sky had turned dark and the clouds were now pearly white as the endless diamond sky resting all around them. What caught their attention more was an Aurora Borealis. Rays of dancing multicolored lights that lit up the sky just across their view.

"It's so beautiful," Hester spoke in wonder. "I've never seen lights so amazing,"

"Neither have I," Sigmund said in wonder. "This is beyond anything,"

"I've always wanted to see the Aurora Borealis up so close," Garsir said as his eyes took in the brightness of the dancing colors. "Wouldn't it be cool to touch it?"

Toothless glided closer to the lights.

Hester reached out to the side and touch the lights. Her hands phased through the lights, dreading lines through it as they were moving. "The lights are so soft and colorful,"

The boys did the same thing too.

"This is amazing," Sigmund said. "I've seen bright beautful lights before but – never light was so amazing,"

"Double amazing," Garsir improved the comment.

"Thank you, Toothless," Hester patted his head.

"**It was nothing,"** Toothless complimented. **"Wait till you guys see this,"**

He glided them all slowly down through the level of white cloud. The teen's eyes widened when they saw a wonderful view of Berk at night. Nothing but dark houses laid below. The Viking statues lit up out at sea. The mountains and forests silent as statues.

"I've never seen Berk at a view like this before," Hester spoke out again, taking in all the wonder her beautiful eyes could set her sights on. "This is so much cooler,"

"It's not as cool as flying up here all together seeing such wonder," Sigmund gave out his opinion. "This wonder we're all seeing together is a gift. Your willing to see dragons for who they truly are is such wonder, Hester,"

Hester turned her head and smiled at him. He smiled back at her.

Suddenly, Toothless started heading away from the island at a quicker pace bringing them all into a cloud of fog.

"Woah!" the three teens screamed getting uncomfortable on the saddle and a bit of a dodgy feeling in their stomachs.

"Toothless, what's happening? Whoa, what is it?" Hester asked fearfully as she senses her dragon's uneasy state.

"**She's calling me again," **Toothless murmured.

"Who? Who's call you again?"

Suddenly they found themselves flying in the middle of a flock of dragons. They were carrying fish, chicken and ship.

"Get down, guys!" Hester hissed.

She and the boys ducked and pressed themselves against the

"What's going on?" Garsir asked fearfully.

"I don't know," Hester stuttered. "Toothless. You've got to get us out of here, bud,"

"**I can't. I'm drawn to it," **

Hester continued turning her face slowly at saw how much stock the dragons had stolen. **"**It looks like they're hauling in their kill,  
**"**Uh, what does that make us?" Sigmund asked quietly.

Right after that, a Zippleback spotted the three humans and was about to attack them when Toothless roared at it.

"**Stay away from my girl and her friends or you die,"** he threatened.

The Zippleback cowered away.

The flock found themselves flying through stacks through a thick ongoing curtain of fog. The best friend's eyes widened when they sighted a gigantic volcano in the middle of nowhere.

"Is this the Dragon's Nest?' Garsir asked.

"I don't know, Garsir," Hester replied. "Is this the Dragon's Nest?" she asked Toothless. Toothless didn't answer. He didn't have to. He flew them right into the side of the magnificent, ginormous volcano through a gigantic crack. There they found themselves flying above a fiery cloudy bottom with stacks standing on it and dragons inhabiting on the tops.

"What my dad wouldn't give to find this," Hester muttered.

The viking's eyes frowned as they noticed swarms of dragons throwing all the fish, chicken and sheep they had stolen from their village into the

"It's satisfying to know that all of our food has been dumped down a hole," Hester sarcastically said.

"They're not eating any of it," Sigmund said dryly as he observed a Nadder dropping fish to the great fiery fog below. "This doesn't make any sense. Why would dragons raid our village for food when they actually don't eat it?"

"Unless…" Garsir was starting to imply a likely possible fact.

The four eyed a Gronkle delivering a tiny fish from out of its mouth. It smiled thinking it had done its work perfectly.

"One fish?" a thunderous female voice boomed from down below.

Hester and Toothless heard it.

"**Oh dear,"** the Gronkle tried to fly away – when suddenly from down below a ginormous head popped out and caught the Gronkle mouth-whole with one giant SNAP!

The three humans on Toothless gasped and their hearts sank like with stone.

"_What... is that?_" Sigmund gasped.

"The dragons are afraid of it," Hester observed all the other dragons cowering in terror into the small nests amongst the stacks. They were terrified of that giant dragon. They didn't want to suffer the same fate as that poor Gronkle. "They're being forced to still food against their own will,"

"**They are,"** Toothless admitted. **"That dragon is the Red Death. It enslaves dragons to do its bidding otherwise it will devour them. I never told you or the boys this because I was afraid of putting you all in danger. No Viking can take on one,"**

"I understand, buddy. Alright, buddy, we gotta get out of here. Now!" Hester pleaded him to take them back.

The Red Death suddenly caught a whiff of human flesh. Its eyes turned and eyed the three humans and Toothless.

"**How dare you Night Fury bring humans to my nest," **the Red Death boomed a thunderous voice that echoed across the whole volcano's inside. **"If you wish to live, hand them over!"**

"**Never!"** Toothless soared up into the air towards the round opening high above their heads. Hundreds of dragons started swarming about around them. The Red Death lunged up at Toothless to catch his tail.

"Ahh!" Garsir suddenly lost his leg grip and nearly fell off but just in time, Sigmund grabbed his hand.

Garsir's watched in horror when instead of catching Toothless's tail, the Red Death caught a Zippleback's instead.

Toothless came out of the volcano and flew as fast as he could back to Berk and back to the cove. He was worn out and tired and felt like he couldn't fly again for a while.

"It totally makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers, and that's their queen. It controls them," Sigmund analyzed everything they had just found out.

"No wonder dragons have raiding villages for centuries," Garsir spoke out. "They were just doing it to feed that Queen in order to save themselves and their offspring,"

"There has to be something we can do about it," Hester thought. "We can't just let the Red Death enslave dragons to spend the rest of their lives raiding innocent villages just to feed her,"

"**Well, what can we do?" **Toothless asked.

Suddenly the four heard footsteps coming from the side of the cove.

"What was that?" Hester asked.

There was another rumble of pebbles coming from outside the cove as descending steps creating creaking noises of grass being trod on and fallen branches with stamped on.

"Toothless, please hide!" Hester pleaded. "If it's another Viking, I don't want him or her to find you,"

"**No way!"** Toothless refused.

"Please, Toothless," Hester pleaded again. "I can't risk you getting captured,"

"**Okay,"** Toothless gave in reluctantly. He sprinted over to a nearby rock and hid behind it.

The three best friends prepared to attack whoever was coming. But from out of the shadows came Astrid.

"Astrid?" Sigmund asked loudly.

"What are you doing here?" Hester demanded.  
**"**I want to know what's going on. No one just gets as good as you do. _Especially_ you," Astrid hissed cruelly stomping over to her. "You think you can take my position as the best Viking? Cause me to get on my parents' bad side and ruin my chance to restore my family's honor?"

"Back off, Astrid," Garsir warned.

Astrid was taken aback by his threat. "Start talking! Are you training with someone?"

"That's enough, Astrid!" Sigmund jeered. "Hester just got better in training. That's what the village and her father expected of her. No, you go back home and be a better person,"

"Hester! You ruined my chance…"

"Your chance to what?" Hester demanded. "To prove you're better than everyone else on this island? To restore your family's honor which you've always cared more for than anything else? To prove that I am nothing like you believe when actually I am someone?"

Astrid suddenly grabbed her arm and painfully twisted it.

"Oww!" Hester screamed in pain.

"Back off her!" both Garsir and Sigmund shouted but Astrid quickly kicked them both away whilst she still had a strong, strict grip on Hester's arm.

"No, you back off!" Hester shouted, twist her arm free of Astrid and shoving her slightly backwards.

Astrid suddenly kicked her in the stomach and tried to hit her. The boys got back up on their feet and prepared to attack her but Toothless (watching everything he was seeing) had enough. He roared out loud and pounced out of his hiding place towards Astrid. She was shocked by what she could see.

"Get down! RUN! RUN!" Astrid shouted.

She raised her axe ready to strike but Sigmund jumped and pushed her down, casting her axe away. Astrid counteracted by kicking him off. Garsir grabbed her legs and threw them down. "Touch him again and I kill you,"

"NO! No. It's okay! It's okay... I'm fine. I'm fine. It's okay," Hester calmed him down. "You just scared him!" she shouted at Astrid poking a finger at her.

"_I_ scared _him_?! Who is "him"?" Astrid questioned exclusively.

"Astrid, Toothless. Toothless, Astrid," Hester begrudgingly introduced.

"**You touch her again and I'll tear you apart," **Toothless snarled at Astrid.

Astrid suddenly jolted off. She was going to expose them.

"Da, da-da! We're dead!" Sigmund was aghast with fear.

"Of all the people who had to discover our secret, it had to be her," Garsir snarled.

Toothless unexpectantly turned and left.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Where do you think you're going?!" Hester demanded. "Get back! We gotta catch her before she gets to the village and exposes you,"

Astrid was running as fast as she could. She couldn't believe that Hester, Sigmund and Garsir had befriended a dragon. That was considered a betrayal to the village.

She just about to jump over a log when suddenly she felt her arm being grabbed. "Oh great Odin's ghost!" she screamed. "AHHHHHHHH!"

Toothless turned back round and headed right back to the cove. Toothless dropped Astrid back on the cove floor. She tried to run away again but Toothless landed on her. She was pinned down, unable to move anything but her mouth.

"Hester, Sigmund, Garsir, get this thing off me!" she demanded.

"No Astrid. You're not going back to the village so you can expose Toothless," Sigmund refused, crossing his arms.

"Let me go!" she demanded.

"No! We will not let you go!" Garsir professed. "You are not going to get us in trouble just so you can be the best Viking,"

"How dare you three befriend a Night Fury who's raided our village and destroyed our catapults and huts!" Astrid cursed. "How dare you three thing of befriending this - this monster!"

"Toothless is not a monster!" Hester shouted kneeling down and allowing Astrid to meet her fury. "Dragons are not monsters!"

"Dragons have raided our village for centuries!" Astrid shouted. "They've our people and stolen our food and animals!"

"They were forced to do it by a much larger dragon called the Red Death!" Hester counter-argued. "They only stole just to save themselves and their families from being eaten!"

"Those creatures still killed hundreds of our kind! Killing them has always been our way of life and it is your father's wish. And to do anything otherwise is treason!" she shouted.

"It still doesn't excuse the fact that these creatures are innocent!" Hester stated. "Someone is going to be done to ensure this war stops,"

"Well, how will it stop?" Astrid challenged.

Hester didn't answer because she didn't have an idea.

Sigmund answered for her. "Hester is going to prove that peace is possible by training the Monstrous Nightmare tomorrow,"

"What?!" Hester asked bewildered. "I can't do that!"

"Yes, you can!" Garsir tried to assure her. "If you can prove that in front of everyone, you can show that peace is possible. Then eventually you can tell them about the Red Death and how it forces dragons to do that,"

"Look guys I can't do," Hester freaked out. "What if I fail?"

"No, you won't!" Sigmund took both hands in his in an attempt to give her comfort. "If you can use your new tricks against other dragons, you can train this Monstrous Nightmare. I know you can," he expressed her everlasting belief. "We can see your

"If you don't try, this war will continue on forever," Garsir reminded. "We believe in you, Hester. And we know, Toothless does too. You just have to believe in yourself. Everyone who is born has a destiny. Maybe it is your destiny to unite our worlds,"

Hester looked at both boys in the eye. Then she turned and looked at Toothless. **"Hester, if it is possible you must try for the good our worlds. I believe in you,"**

Hester made her choice and agreed to go through with it.

She and the boys tied Astrid tightly with rope to the cove's tree and gagged her so she wouldn't have to disturb her bodyguard Toothless's slumber. He would never be able to tolerate with his yelling.

"Toothless, we'll come back soon. Whatever you do, make sure Astrid doesn't escape," Hester advised.

"I've sent a small trap so if she makes even the slightest movement with her legs, they'll pull a rope triggering some rocks will fall and it'll wake you up and so you'll be able to stop her," Sigmund assured so that Toothless didn't have to guard Astrid every second, every minute and every hour for the night.

"We must get back before someone notices we're gone," Garsir warned cautiously. "And let's get back for Astrid's parents start looking for her too,"

The three humans left the cove after hugging Toothless good night.

They all dashed home as quick as their legs could carry them.

After bidding the boys goodnight, Hester went back into her home and laid down on her bed feeling nervous about tomorrow. She was scared. She was terrified. She was panicking from inside out. Tomorrow, she was goanna try and train the Monstrous Nightmare in order to prove to her father and village that dragons weren't the monsters they thought they were. Then once after that, she would tell them about the Red Death and hopefully about Toothless, who she would try to introduce as not 'The Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death itself' but as a kind gentle creature whose soul seemed to reflect her own. She could perhaps even tell them about her uncanny gift.

The only question was: Would it all work out?


	14. The Secret Exposed - No longer a Viking

**Secret exposed – No longer a Viking:**

Practically the whole village had arrived for the special event. They were surrounding the arena cage and watched as Stoick (seated in a mighty chair) at the center gave out a mighty speech.

"Well, I can show my face in public again! If someone had told me that in just few short weeks, Hester would go from being, well... Hester, to placing first in Dragon Training... Well, I would've tied her to a mast and shipped him off for fear she'd gone mad,"

Hester was standing just outside the gate ready to go in. She was holding her mother's helmet in her hands. She wasn't at all enjoying the speech her father was giving she felt humiliated, embarrassed, unaccepted.

"Yes! And you know it! But here we are. And no one's more surprised...or more proud than I am. Today, my girl becomes a Viking. TODAY, SHE BECOMES ONE OF US!"

Hester had never more nervous in her life.

"Good luck training the Nightmare," Garsir said hoping it would give her confidence.

"It's not the dragon I'm worried about," Hester looked up her father.

The boys looked at her fearfully as they felt more tense for her.

Hester turned to them. **"**Guys if something goes wrong... just make sure they don't find Toothless,"

"We'll try," Sigmund vowed. "Just... promise us it won't go wrong,"

"It's time, Hester," Gobber cut in as he walked up to them. "Knock him dead,"

Hester took a deep breath in and out. The boys (sensing her nervous, scared feelings) wrapped her into a tight group hug. Hester felt safe inside them just as she did with Toothless.

Sigmund whispered in her ear: "It's going to be okay. We have your back,"

Hester kissed both boys on the cheek before walking inside. Everyone was cheering after she carefully adjusted the Viking onto her head. She went to the weapon rack and picked up a shield and a short sword.

"I would've gone for the hammer," Stoick muttered to Gobber. Just after he said that, Asher and Ingrid Hofferson came up to him. "Asher, Ingrid - what is it?" he asked.

"Stoick, it's our daughter: Astrid," Ingrid spoke with a worried feeling stirring in her tone.

"She's disappeared since yesterday night. We can't find her anywhere," Asher answered.

"Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Hofferson. Once this exam is over, we'll send out search parties over the island to search for her. We shall not rest until she is found safe and sound," Stoick vowed.

From outside the gate, Sigmund and Garsir saw Asher and Ingrid talking with Stoick. They gulped. They just hoped that Astrid hadn't escaped from Toothless. If she exposed them, they'd be dead for sure.

As Asher and Ingrid walked back into the crowd, they glared hatefully at Hester in the Arena. They were so resentful of her for taking their daughter's place as the best student. They decided that they would have a talk with her thinking that perhaps she might know something about Astrid's disappearance.

Hester took a deep breath in and out.** "**I'm ready!" she called up. She watched nervously but bravely as the bar sealing the gate closed was lifted out of place. Instantly, the Monstrous Nightmare erupted out of its cage, coated in a layer of gel-like fire. It roared and quickly crawled its way like a spider around the sides and upside down across the top of the arena.

It spotted Hester standing ready, seemingly ready to fight it. It crawled its way down to face her. Hester took a few steps forward but much to the surprise of everyone watching her, she dropped her shield and short sword to the side.

"What is she doing?" Stoick asked confused by his daughter's actions.

Sigmund and Garsir watched tensely as she approached the dragon weaponless.

"It's okay. It's okay," Hester gently to the dragon. She slowly took of her helmet so as not to motivate the dragon to attack. She tossed it away. "I'm not one of them,"

"Stop the fight," Stoick ordered.

Hester heard her father's order.** "**No! I need you all to see this!" she called out to everyone. Everyone eyed her in confusion. "They're not what we think they are. We don't have to kill them!" Hester tried to explain. As she did, she reached out her hand to the giant fire dragon. The dragon smelt her hand and realized it was indeed not like those other Vikings.

"I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!" Stoick shouted slamming his hammer against the Arena railings. The loud banging sounds frightened the Nightmare breaking it out of the gentle state that Hester had nearly managed to keep him under.

"**Stay away from me!"** the startled Monstrous Nightmare growled snapping at Hester.

"Out of my way!" Stoick barged through the crowd.

Hester screamed as the Nightmare tried to roast her with a breath of fire. No matter how many times she tried to calm it down, it just didn't work.

* * *

Inside the cove, Toothless was napping peacefully.

Still tied up and gagged like all night, Astrid could do nothing but think and watch. She had been thinking about so many things last night. Was that dragon really not harmless? How could Hester literally befriend the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death itself? Was it really true, everything they said about a giant dragon forcing other small dragons to steal food? If that dragon really was a monster, it would have killed her whilst she was still alive but it didn't. Not oly that but it seemed to fully understand Hester, Garsir and Sigmudn very well. Much better than any other Vikings would.

What concerned her more was everything that Hester, Sigmund and Garsir had ranted out at her for the past few weeks. Had she really been so selfish? Had she really only cared about herself and her family's honor? She started thinking about the question Sigmund had asked her that night: What did Hester ever do to her? Even if Hester wasn't Viking enough, she never cared about her reputation. She only cared about the well-being of that dragon and about being there for Sigmund and Garsir. She had selfishly pushed that sort of need aside and instead held being the top Viking in training as her top priority.

Everything that Sigmund was to Garsir and Hester was what she once was to them when they were little. Now she was a bullying, unkind foe to them who they would never put aside the pain she had caused to form a hole in their hearts.

She felt foolish. In fact, she felt more than that, she felt like she was nothing. Garsir was right about her. Hester was always someone special in a different sort of way. It was her who was always nothing. She was noting that an arrogant, selfish, self-centered girl who cared about nothing more than being better than everyone else.

Suddenly, a shrieking scream interrupted a regretful thoughtful Astrid from her thoughts. It also jolted a sleeping Toothless awake.

"**Oh no,"** Toothless gasped as his eyes widened and his heart was struck with fear. **"Hester!"**

Not caring about keeping Astrid from escaping, he tried to climb out of the cove to get to Hester. If she was screaming, then she was in trouble. She couldn't let her get killed.

* * *

**"**Hester! Hester!" Sigmund screamed in horror through the bars.

"We've got to get in there!" Garsir quickly grabbed an axe and together they push the bottom of the gate up.

They dashed inside to assist Hester. Sigmund's eyes widened when he saw the Monstrous Nightmare almost close to turning Hester into a snack, he grabbed a hammer and threw it into the Nightmare's face causing it to turn its attention to him and Garsir instead. Soon it started chasing everyone, it could lay its eyes on.

Back at the cove, Toothless struggled to get out of the cove until finally he managed to dig his claws into the other rock pulling himself up and out of the cove. He was finally out. He raced as fast as he could towards the Arena.

"**Hang on, Hester,"** he vowed. **"I'm on my way!"**

Once Toothless disappeared, Astrid took the chance to finally rip herself free from the ropes. She sprinted out of the arena after setting off the sound making trap that Sigmund had installed to get to the village. She had to try and help them. It was time she made up for her wrongdoings.

* * *

Back inside the Arena, Hester, Sigmund and Garsir were inches closer every second to getting devoured by the Nightmare.

**"**This way!" Stoick shouted managing to get the boys out. The two boys managed to get to safety but the Nightmare suddenly pinned Hester under its claws.

"**Thought you could trick me?"** it challenged.

"No. Please," Hester begged.

"I'm goanna roast you," the Monstrous Nightmare was about to fire at her when suddenly there was a thunderous roar.

Toothless bounded to the Arena towards the source of Hester's screaming and blasted through the Arena's railing without being seen directly by any Berkian. His plasma blasts created a fog of smoke that seemed to engulf the whole arena.

"Night Fury!" Gobber screamed.

As they rolled out of the smoke, the Monstrous Nightmare fought back against Toothless biting and snapping at him with its giant mouth with every chance it had but Toothless managed to shove him off.

The Nightmare saw Hester struggling to get up. It tried to get to her but Toothless blocked it. It refused it let it pass by.

"**Stay away from her!"** Toothless growled.** "Leave or I kill you!"**

"**I'm leaving. I'm leaving. I'm leaving!"** the Nightmare cried out retreating away back into the safety of its cage.

"Alright, Toothless, go. Get out of here!" Hester begged as she ran to him. "Toothless wouldn't leave her side at all.

Garsir and Sigmund begged him to go too.

"You've gotta go Toothless!" Sigmund begged. "If you don't, they'll kill you!"

"Just go before you caught Toothless!" Garsir begged again.

Toothless wouldn't listen to either of them.

Sigmund saw Stoick about to attack.

"Stoick, no!" Sigmund ran forward to block him but Stoick pushed him aside.

"No, Dad, he won't hurt you!" Hester pleaded him stop but Stoick charged at them with an axe. Thinking he was a threat, Toothless pounced on him like predator on prey and they rolled until Toothless was right on top of Stock. Toothless prepared to blast his head.

**"**No, don't! You're only making it worse! Toothless, STOP!" she screamed before Toothless could fire into her father's head.

Toothless halted his fire and looked pitifully into Hester's eyes.

With Toohtless distracted, Stoick shouted: "Get him!"

The Vikings took the advantage to pin Toothless and pin him down.  
"Noooooooo!" Hester, Sigmund and Garsir screamed as they tried to get to him but more Vikings held them back.

"No! Please, jus- just don't hurt him! Please don't hurt him!" Hester begged as she tried to get to Toothless being pinned down by dozens of Vikings unable to escape.

"Guys, you're making a big mistake!" Sigmund shouted.

"He won't hurt anyone!" Garsir bellowed. "He's not dangerous!"

"Put it with the others!" Stoick ordered as he stood back on his feet and glared monstrously at the dragon. He glared hatefully at Hester and the boys. "Take the boys away!"

"No!" Hester pleaded as she was heled back by Spitelout and forced to helpless watch Sigmund and Garsir get grabbed and taken away. "Guys!"

"Hester!" they screamed back as they struggled to free themselves.

"Don't do anything to them please. It's not their fault!"

Her father wouldn't listen at all. He grabbed her cardigan top and pulled her away. Stoick dragged Hester abusively to the Great Hall. The Halls slammed open and he tossed her inside. "I should have known. I should have seen the signs," he muttered angrily.

Hester tried to get him to listen to her. "Dad, please just listen—"  
**"**We had a deal!" Stoick lashed out.  
**"**I know we did... But that was before... Ugh, it's all so messed up!" Hester whimpered.  
Stoick looked at her with fury boiling in his eyes and burning his face red as fire.** "**So everything in the ring... A trick?! A lie?"  
**"**I screwed up. I should have told you before now," Hester gave in. Take this out on me, be mad at me, but please... just don't hurt Toothless or Sigmund and Garsir. I beg you please?"  
**"**That dragon? That's what you're worried about? Not the people you almost killed?!" he shouted at her thinking she cared more for that dragon than her own people.  
**"**He was just protecting me and my best friends! He's not dangerous!" Hester shrieked in his face.  
**"**They've killed HUNDREDS OF US!" her father lashed out.  
**"**AND WE'VE KILLED THOUSANDS OF THEM!" his daughter lashed out back. "They defend themselves, that's all! They raid us because they have no choice! If they don't bring enough food back, they'll be eaten themselves. They're being forced to do this against their own will! There's something else on their island, Dad... it's a giant…"  
An idea suddenly popped into Stoick's head.** "**-Their island? So you've been to the nest?" he stepped darkling towards his daughter.

"Did I say nest?" Hester quickly asked nervously.  
**"**How did you find it?!" Stoick demanded.  
**"**No... I didn't. _Toothless_ did. Only a dragon can find the island," Hester regretfully gave out.

Stoick's eyes widened as another idea popped into his eye.

"Oh no," Hester gasped as she realized her blurt out had suddenly made him think he could end it all once an for all. "Oh, no, no. Dad, no! Dad! It's not what you think! You don't know what you're up against! It's like nothing you've ever seen!"

Instead of listening to her as usual, Stoick shoved her aside and started heading towards the entrance.

"Dad, please! I promise you that you can't win this one! No! Dad, no! That thing will destroy you and your ships with one blast of fire! FOR _ONCE_ IN YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU _PLEASE_ JUST LISTEN TO ME!" she tried to pull his arm but she shoved her to the floor.

"You've thrown your lot in with them. You're not a Viking," Stoick spoke out in utter disgust. "You're not my daughter,"

That had done it for Hester. Despite her heart shattering and her tears filling her eyes, she snarled her teeth and refused to back down. "You know what…" Hester stood back on her feet glaring at her angrily. "You're not my dad. You have and you never will be! All my life, you've put me down, treated me like I wasn't good enough. There is more love and humanity in Toothless than there will ever be in you! He, Sigmund and Garsir love and care for me for than you have and ever will!"

Stoick slammed his mighty fist into her face and she fell to the floor again in pain.

"NOBODY! I REPEAT NOBODY TALKS TO ME LIKE THAT!" he bellowed out loudly.

He stormed out leaving a pained Hester to whimper and cry on the floor.

Stoick turned to Spitelout and Agnar. "Lock her up in the prison with Sigmund and Garsir. They'll be facing trial once we arrive back,"

Spitelout and Agnar nodded. They stomped back inside and pulled a weakened Hester to the prison block. They threw her into the first cell and locked the door securely. Hester was too weak and too heartbroken to do anything.

What she was heard next were two more prisoners being booed at from outside. Garsir and Sigmund were shoved forward by some Vikings whilst being forced to endure with all the shouting and ranting given off by all the Berkians.

Among them (though quiet and wholeheartedly seemly betrayed) were Gobber and Mr. and Mrs. Ingerman.

Garsir looked into his father's eyes and saw nothing but pain and shame. Garsir turned away unable to meet them. He never ever wanted to make his father feel that he was acting like his mother's death meant anything to them as well.

Sigmund couldn't face his parents' heartbroken, disappointed faces either. He truly didn't want things to end like this for them.

They were shoved into two cells opposite Hester's.

They slumped on their buts and sat against the stone walls feeling for the first time in their whole lives: helpless, useless, lost. What could they do?

"READY THE SHIPS!" Stoick commanded once he saw his former daughter and the boys locked inside securely.

"What about our daughter?!" Ingrid screamed out to him reminding him of what he promised.

Stoick's eyes widened. Then he thought of an idea, he stomped into the cell, his steps make loud noises that echoed across the room. He glared from one side to other from Hester and the boys. "Do you guys know where Astrid is?"

The three didn't say anything.

"ANSWER ME!" he bellowed.

Still they wouldn't answer. They weren't scared of his response. Stoick stomped out of the cell and turned to the prison guards. "Make sure they stay locked up tight and do not let them escape," they nodded. He turned back to Asher and Ingrid. "It seems that the three might be hiding something about where your daughter is. First we go to the nest. Then I promise you, we'll see what they know,"

Reluctantly, Asher and Ingrid agreed with his commands.

The ships were loaded with weapons, armor, everything the Vikings believed they would need to battle against the dragons. Toothless was muzzled and chained before being loaded onto the leading ship that would be commanded by Stoick.

"Set sail! We head for Helheim's Gate!" Stoick ordered to all the captains of his ship. "Lead us home, Devil," he taunted a brave yet scared Toothless.

Toothless could do nothing but whimper in pain and loneliness. **"Oh, Hester,"**

* * *

**This is all working like a charm. Thank you everyone for all the nice wonderful ideas. Sorry to those whose ideas I didn't choose. Anyways be prepared for the next one. Just so you all Hester's dragon scar will have nothing to do with her ability. It'll be something very much different. You'll find it very interesting - i assure you. Until then, get prepared for the final battle arriving soon. **


	15. What to do

**What to do: **

From on top the cliff where she had run to, Astrid had observed all the ships including the one carrying a chained Toothless sailing out to hopefully succeed in finding the Dragon's Nest and rid of them once and for all. From everything she had heard from Hester, Sigmund and Garsir about that they had discovered, they would surely not come back alive. Something had to be done. She then realized that only Hester and Toothless working together could save them all. It was their only hope.

Inside their cells, the Trio were mourning over everything. The thoughts of their families sailing to their deaths. Toothless being chained. And Hester's failure to convince her father of the threat.

"Toothless must be so scared," Hester mourned as tears ran down her cheeks. "He's all alone,"

"Hester, if it's anyone's fault – it's ours!" Sigmund said sadly as his eyes peered over across to Hester's wet ones.

"He's right. We talked you into it from the very beginning," Garsir reminded. "We convinced you to try and shoot down a dragon. We convinced you to excel in training with the tricks we learnt. And we convinced you to try and show your father and the village that peace was possible,"

"But guys, I agreed with everything," Hester reminded them too turning to face them. "I tried so hard to make a difference but all I did was let everyone down. Including you two,"

"No, Hester. It's we who have let you down," Sigmund refused to allow her to feel the most guilt. "All we did was push you on and now your father had disowned you and Toothless is chained,"

"We've been horrible best friends," Garsir lamented. "You don't deserve to bear this unbearable guilt,"

"No. I should be feeling guilty. Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? It would have been better for everyone. For you guys. For myself too," Hester turned away facing the other side of her cell. "I'm a shame to our people all because I'm the first Viking in 300 years who wouldn't kill a dragon,"

"But you're the first one to ride one though," Sigmund reminded her confidently. "No one has ever dared done that before,"

"Guys, I couldn't kill Toothless because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him – and I saw myself. It wasn't just fear I saw in his eyes. I saw something. Something that made him different. Something that was beyond anything I had ever seen,"

Silence was amidst them all once again. Until they heard two Vikings grunting in pain as they fell to the floor. They jolted on their feet, looked outside their cell doors and saw Astrid standing in the doorway with the keys in her hand.

"Before you guys even think of punching me or killing me, I'm here to set you free," she quickly said after noticing their curious, threatening eyes.

"Yeah right," Garsir responded sarcastically. "As if you would,"

This was confirmed wrong when Astrid undid the locks. "I heard everything you said from outside Hester and it's like nothing I've heard before," she said as she unlocked Hester's cell – she was met by Hester's scowl that still held running tears. "All my life I believed dragons were beasts and monsters. But after seeing how you befriended Toothless and how he was willing to protect you,"

Hester did nothing but stare darkly at her as she stepped out.

"Look, I know I'm the last person you ever want to speak to," Astrid responded, holding out her hand slightly.

"To say the least," Hester replied bluntly in a hurt tone. "You're so lucky you didn't escape and reveal to the village about Toothless and how we kept you from revealing him before he ended up getting captured when he tried to save me,"

"But Hester, you've got to do something about it," Astrid said unexpectantly. "I know I've done selfish things - selfish unforgivable things to you – but as much as you hate to be near me, i goanna see to it that you get out there and prove to the whole village about what you found out,"

Hester didn't answer at all. She saw Garsir and Sigmund still standing nearby so she stood back, afraid they might threaten her.

"So, what's the plan Hester?" Garsir asked.

"There is no plan," Hester answered back walking out of the prison block past the knocked-out guards.

"Hester, you've always got a plan," Sigmund rushed up to her side alongside Garsir. "You can't just give up and stand by and let the Berkians sail to their deaths. Look I know that they're the last people you ever want to help…"

"It's over, guys. And there's absolutely nothing we can do about it," Hester interrupted, having already given up. Her spirit was just lost.

"The Hester we know would just give up like that," Sigmund refused to believe.

"I'm afraid, the Hester you know is gone," Hester stated sadly. "Don't you guys get it? I failed!"

Sigmund and Garsir were shocked by her lash out. Astrid, on the other hand, remained strong. She decided to give Hester a lecture that she needed to hear.

"Failed?" she asked disapprovingly as she stepped up to her. "Don't you ever - say that you failed, Hester," she poked Hester in the chest much to her disapproval. "If you care about Toothless so much, then fight for him. Whenever you hit a wall – you push through it like it never hit you. You've done for years, Hester. And that's nothing compared to how I've always hit a wall for my selfishness. There's something you need to know about failure, Hester," Astrid spoke firmly. "You can never let it defeat you,"

Hester couldn't say anything back; she just simply walked away.

Sigmund and Garsir tried to follow her but Astrid stopped them by blocking their path. "Guys, you know Hester won't take your words and just stand up. You must give her time to think," she looked into their eyes and saw disagreement and distrust. "Please trust me, guys. She'll figure it out on her own,"

Reluctantly, Sigmund and Garsir decided to not do anything. They couldn't help but agree with Astrid. They felt that their words wouldn't encourage Hester. If anything, they would just make her still doubt herself. She had to figure it out on her own this time.

Hester just walked through the silent village to the cliff edge. She stared into the sky wondering if the gods of Asgard were watching over her. "Oh gods, I just wanted to make a now...maybe it isn't good enough. I just don't understand," she prayed that Odin, King of Asgard would hear her lamenting. After that, she began to sing out loud again hoping he would listen.

_"Why? Why did I think things could change?  
I thought I could do something  
But now I know I was wrong_

_Now what? What should I do?  
And who? Who can I turn to?  
Now everything feels so upside down_

_Deep down, maybe I knew  
It was way too good to be true  
With my best friends looking up to me  
Some hero I thought I could be!_

She turned away to walk back to her hut when there was a sudden booming voice spooking her from the sky. "Hester!"

Hester turned round and saw a giant face in the sky. It was god's face with white shoulder length hair, a white beard, a patch and a single blue eye. **"**Are you..." she startled to ask as she felt terrified.

"Yes, Hester. I am Odin, King of Asgard,"

**"**Odin," Hester bowed down to respect.

"There is no need to bow, Hester," Odin gently said. "You are an extremely special Viking and you are about to change the world of humans and dragons,"

"Odin, I tried to do that. But I failed. It's all because I have this special gift to understand dragons. You know I thought for a moment that perhaps you and the other gods might have given me this gift because I spared Toothless's life,"

"Hester, the fact that you were willing to see dragons for who they really are isn't a result of this gift. It is your heart full of love and humanity that allowed you to do so. This gift you have was not gifted to you by me or the other gods,"

"Then where does it come from?" Hester asked desperately.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you answer that," Odin sorrowfully replied. "You cannot give up, Hester Haddock. You're brave, loyal, selfless and strong not in strength, but in spirit. Dragons and your tribe need you. Even your father. I know that you despise him for how he neglected you your whole life and had hurt you in the most horrible ways imaginable – but not forget that he loves you. Deep inside his heart, I can sense that he still loves you as his daughter,"

"How can I possibly love him back? He bruised me. He disowned me. He locked up my best friends and has taken my dragon. And I don't even know if I can find it in my heart to help the village after how it's treated me,"

"Hester – family is the most important thing in the whole world. You must rise above your anger and do what is right. Now be brave. Be strong. Save your dragon and do what is right for dragons and humans. Prove to them who you were born to be," Odin's face disappeared into the sky.

"No, don't go Odin!" Hester pleaded. After that, she felt a spark of fire in her chest. Her heart was telling her she had to save dragons and humans alike. "I have to save them," she said determined.

_"Maybe my journey is far from done  
They need a leader, and I'm the one  
So now it's time for them all to see  
The Viking I was born to be!_

_It is time  
To take the lead on my own  
It is time  
For something bigger than I've ever known_

_No need to wonder, what's done is done_

_I just need to believe that I'm the one_

_So is it time?  
Is it time"_

"Yes,"

_"It is time,"_

She no longer felt useless, helpless, or weak. She felt strong, brave, determined.

She heard footsteps and saw Sigmund and Garsir approaching her, having heard her song echoing in the air.

She could see Astrid too, walking a few metres behind them.

"Hester – are you alright?" Sigmund asked, noticing how Hester was silent and looked neither lost or helpless.

"I'm alright," Hester answered. "Look guys, I can't let our tribe sail to the Nest knowing that they'll get killed. Besides, I can't let failure get me down. We're going to save Toothless,"

"That's the Hester, we know," Garsir said proudly.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Sigmund asked.

"Something stupid – and something crazy," Hester simply answered before running off towards the Arena.

"Now that's more like it," Sigmund said approvingly.

"I told you guys that she could figure it out," Astrid's voice spooked them.

"What do you want?" Garsir demanded.

"To help,"

"We're not accepting any help at all," Garsir refused.

"I know," Astrid responded. "But you three can't stop whatever it is, you guys found at the Nest all my yourselves and save our people with just Toothless. That's why Hester should show the other teens how to train dragons,"

Before the boys could stop her, she ran off to gather the teens.

"Let's just get to the Arena quickly before they come," Sigmund suggested as they sprinting to catch up with Hester.

"That's a good idea. Like hell I would bet my life on any of those other teens," Garsir agreed.

* * *

**Wow. So if Hester's ability to understand dragons doesn't come from the Gods, then where does it come from? Wow, we'll have to wait for another story to find out. Next chapter will be up soon.**


	16. Training the Other Dragons

**Training the other Dragons: **

Hester made it to Arena. She was standing in front of the Monstrous Nightmare's cage. She prepared to pull the lever and open it. She was going to train it and then fly on it to get to Dragon Island with her boys. Just before she could open it, she heard panting behind her.

She turned and saw her best human friends puffing in and out.

"Hester…" Sig puffed. "Astrid is gathering the other teenagers,"

"What? I am not working with any of them," Hester refused instantly shaking her head.

"We tried to stop her but she was too fast," Garsir huffed. "So we dashed here as fast as possible,"

"So what are you going to do?" Sig asked.

"I'm going to train these locked up dragons and then lead them on a mission to save Toothless and our tribe," Hester explained. "Now let's go before…" she didn't finish because she saw Astrid entering with Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins.

"Oh great," Sigmund scoffed.

"Hester, you going to need to need all the help you can get," Astrid spoke across as she stood in the middle whilst the others stood by her side. She was met with a declining face.

"No way am I working with any of you," Hester retorted, motioning the line members one by one with her sharp finger. "Why should I work with any of you? All you guys have done is make fun of me, mock for my size and called me 'Hicca' when it's actually Hester. You all mistreated. not just me but also Garsir and Sigmund – who were the only ones who loved me for who I was,"

"Look Hester, I know we were all selfish to you," Astrid said apologetically. "All of us should have known better than to mistreat you like this,"

Hester looked into the faces of the other teens and saw shame and guilt written on them.

"We're all very sorry," Snotlout said.

"Uh - It's goanna take a lot more than 'sorry' to make it up to her," Garsir pointed out crossing her arms and bending his eye brows so they were directly crossed above his eyes to express his statement.

"Such as for example being treated the same way she's been," Sigmund added in as his eyebrows scrunched down his forehead. He looked at his adoptive brother. "Fishlegs, I don't think I can ever forgive you for how you've resented me my whole life ever since I was adopted into my family. And because of how you always allowed everyone else to humilate Hester when you did nothing, I for one can't forgive you being a coward for not standing up for what was right,"

"I know you can't. I'm not expecting you to," Fishlegs responded. "I know I can't make it up to you so simply. But I should still help you, Hester and Garsir,"

"The answer is no!" Hester shouted.

Everyone flinched back, feeling tense by her loud burst out.

"Hester – we all feel you don't deserve to accept our offers. We don't deserve your sympathy or anything," Astrid spoke out again. "I for one understand and agreed with it when I thought over every unrighteous thing I did after you and the boys tied me up yesterday-night when I discovered your secret,"

"Wait, you were tied up by them?" Tuffnut asked feeling so surprised.

"Were you kidnapped?" Ruffnut questioned surprised as well.

"We need to let Hester carry out her plan," Astrid counter-argued. "Don't hit them or be murderous to them. I deserved it as payback for being so selfish," she turned her gaze back on Hester. "Look you can't defeat the Red Death with just Toothless, Garsir and Sigmund. You need all the help you can get. We can help if you would just train us to ride dragons. If you do, we'll never bother you again,"

Hester was still silent for a moment. She motioned Garsir and Sigmund to form a secret circle with her.

"Do you guys think we should?" she whispered.

Sigmund and Garsir didn't answer. A second later, Sigmund gave out his response. "As much as I hate to say this – Astrid may be right,"

"Sig's right. You've seen how ginormous that dragon is," Garsir pointed out. "I really think that we should accept help from these teens – even if they've been selfish,"

Hester nodded. She turned to the teens and gave out her decisions. "Just this once," she simply answered. "Open the gate," she ordered Garsir.

Garsir nodded. He pulled the lever and the gate was unlocked. The doors slowly opened. Hester took a deep breath and walked slowly inside at an unthreatening pace. She held her breath in as the light entering the pen through the opened gates revealed the Monstrous Nightmare.

The Monstrous Nightmare woke up and once it caught sight of the familiar girl, it growled.

"Easy," Hester spoke gently, holding out her left open palm. "I'm not here to harm you. I'm not here to harm you,"

She took slower moving steps. The less threatening they were, the less threatening the Monstrous Nightmare became. Its iris widened after seeing that she wasn't dangerous. Right when Hester's palm was in front of its snout, the Nightmare smelt it and smelt no threat. Only gentleness and kindness.

It touched her snout. **"Your hand is so soft,"**

"Thank you,"

"**Wait…"** the Monstrous Nightmare stared wide-eyed into her. **"You can understand me?"**

"I can. It's a uncanny gift that I have. I don't know where it came from or how I got it," Hester answered.

"**Well, it's amazing,"**

"Thank you," Hester started slowly moving backwards out of the cage. The Monstrous Nightmare stepped out slowly towards her as she retreated back. Soon they were out in the open in front of everyone else. Everyone looked on in amazement at them.

"How does she do that?" Tuffnut asked, his eyes wide open as well as his gaping mouth.

"She does it by being gentle and unthreatening – compared to how we Vikings are always threatening and unwilling to see dragons in a new light," Sigmund explained.

"She is the one. The one who can bring peace between us and dragons," Garsir stated proudly.

As the Nightmare saw the other teens, it started to become agitated again.

Hester sensed his growing anxiety. "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. They won't harm you, one bit,"

"**I'll trust your judgment," **

"Thank you,"

"Can she understand it?" Fishlegs asked. "Is she communicating with it?"

Sigmund and Garsir still didn't answer. They just gestured to what they were all seeing. The other teens could see indeed Hester could understand that dragon.

"That is one amazing ability," Ruff and Tuff both said at the same time. "Where did she get it from?"

Sigmund and Garsir didn't answer. During the teams' observance of Hester, Snotlout was becoming scared. He grabbed a knife but Garsir snatched it and tossed it away.

"No weapons," he hissed. "You'll act like a threat,"

Hester guided the Nightmare to Snotlout. Snotlout was scared. He became more petrified with fear when Hester gently took his hand. "What are you doing?" he freaked out.

"Just relax, Snotlout," Hester ordered. "Just be brave and allow the dragon to trust you," she gently placed his hand on the Nightmare's snout.

Snotlout was still petrified. He suddenly felt a new feeling excitement when he saw that the dragon was enjoying his touch and was nuzzling his palm.

"You see?" Hester asked. "He's not mean at all. He's friendly,"

"You're right," Snotlout agreed. Hester left his side slowly. He started getting scared again.

"It's okay. You'll be okay," she assured. "Just focus on petting the dragon,"

Snotlout did as she instructed. He took deep breaths in and out as he petting the dragon's snout.

"**That's very nice, thank you,"** the Nightmare said in dragon tongue. **"I love your petting,"** he dug his snout further in Snotlout's hand. Snotlout started giggling. He was in fact enjoying it.

"Now for you," Hester pulled Fishlegs towards the Gronkle cage. Sigmund opened the gate slowly and the Gronkle walked out snarling. Fishlegs started paniking.

"It's okay! It's okay Fishlegs!" Hester calmed him down patting his back. "You just need to stay calm and be relaxed,"

Hester placed her snout in front of the Gronkle and just like the Nightmare, it followed the sweet scent of her palm to Fishlegs. Hester gently brought Fishlegs's hand forward but he pulled away. "Fishlegs, you've gotta be brave and try," she urged.

"I can't," he freaked out.

"Use this," Hester took out the same garlic scented grass she had used previously from a pocket and placed it in his hand. "It's a scented grass that dragons like. Rub it on her snout," she encouraged leaving his side.

Nervously but with a bit of bravery, Fishlegs slowly held out the garlic grass to the Gronkle. He turned away his head frightening that it might bite of his hand. Instead, it rubbed its snout into his palm. he unexpectantly, smiled a bit and rubbed his curved palm into its snout. The Gronkle smiled and it suddenly pinned Fishlegs down and licked him on the face with its large slippery tongue like a dog. Instead of freaking out, Fishlegs laughed and rubbed the sides of its face.

"**You're so sweet," **the Gronkle said in female dragon tongue.

"She says, you're so sweet," Hester translated.

"Really?" Fishlegs asked. Hester nodded and that made him all the happier.

"Are you doing this? This ability to understand dragons?" Astrid asked.

"Don't ask – because I have absolutely no idea," Hester confessed.

"Now it's you two," Sigmund pushed two nervous twins forward.

They were in front of the Zippleback. They were so petrified that they actually gripped a firm tight hold on one another and closed their eyes very tightly.

"It's alright, guys," Hester calmed them down patting them both on the shoulders. "Just say calm and say hello to the dragon,"

"Uh hi?" Ruffnut nervously spoke to the left head.

"How you're doing?" Tuffnut anxiously asked the right one. The two twins still wouldn't let go of each other.

"You guys have to open yourselves up to it." Hester instructed. "If you do that it'll be less scary. Please. Just – give it a shot. Just try. Reach your hands out slowly and turn your faces away,"

The two twins took a tense look into each others' faces, facially questioned one another if they should try. They both responded simultaneously by nodded. They slowly let go of each other and each held out a hand to the dragons' heads. They also turned their heads away.

"Just please don't eat us," Ruffnut begged.

"As you can see, we don't have weapons so…" Tuffnut couldn't finish because he was still too anxious.

Both of them blinked their eyes up when they felt scaly ends touching their palms. They turned and saw the heads pressing their snouts gently into their gentle palms with their closed eyes.

Small open smiles appeared on their faces. Right after that the two eyes of the two eyes opened.

"Hi," both twins addressed kindly as they looked deeper into those eyes and saw not a monstrous two headed beast – but a kind creature who truly meant no harm.

"**Hi,"** both heads replied in male dragon tongues.

"**You two are not so bad after all," **the left head spoke.

"**You guys seem – nice," **the right one added in.

"I can't believe it's actually working," Hester whispered to Sigmund and Garsir.

"We can't believe it either as well Hester," Garsir smiled in agreement.

"And they have you to thank for that," Sigmund spoke proudly.

"And now for you," Hester gestured Astrid to the last dragon of them all. The Deadly Nadder.

She looked into Astrid's eyes and found a sense of fear. She was scared of training a dragon that she had hurt before.

"Astrid, I know you're scared. But you're gotta be brave,". For the first time in forever, Hester held sympathy for the girl who hurt her all her life. "Look – you can't let your history with that dragon keep you down. In fact, I believe it won't either. If anything, it will want to rise above it. Just like I have to with this village and my father,"

Hester offered out her hand and Astrid kindly took it without any disgust. Hester walked Astrid over to the Nadder.

"It's alright," Hester said to the Nadder. "Astrid is not goanna harm you. Just let her get to know you,"

She patted its snout. **"Okay,"** it answered back with its not-so certain female voice.

Hester stood back. Before doing so, she whispered some needful advice into Astrid's ear. "Stand in her blind spot and give her a nice scratch under the chin,"

Astrid took a deep breath in. Then a deep breath out. She took a few steps forward.

The Nadder was still a bit growly. Astrid came in front of her blind spot and she scratched it affectionately under the chin. She started cooing with delight. "I love it. You're a great scratcher,"

"She says that she loves it. She also says that you're a great scratcher," Hester translated again.

Once Astrid was in her sight again, instead of being growly the Nadder smiled at her and nuzzled her horned snout into her palms.

Hester, Garsir and Sigmund were smiling at everything they had seen. Garsir and Sigmund were prouder of Hester than ever. She was a wonderful teacher at teaching dragons. Right after they smiled at what they saw, Hester turned round and walked towards a crate seated at the other side of the Arena.

"Where are you going?" Snotlout (still stroking the Nightmare's snout) asked.

"To get you some rope," Hester answered.

"For what?" Tuffnut asked, looking completely confused.

"To help you hold on of course," Hester answered, completely exasperated with Tuffnut for being clueless. "Now, before any of you ask any more questions, there is no time to answer them. We've got to get to the Dragon's Nest as soon as possible,"

The teens wrapped the ropes gently around the necks of the other dragons before getting onto their backs or long necks. It didn't bother them.

They also strapped some weapons to their backs. Although the dragons were agitated by the weapons, they chose to trust the teens just as they had with Hester.

Hester woke the Deadly Nadder with Astrid sitting behind her.

Sigmund was with Fishlegs on the Gronkle.

Garsir was with Snotlout on the Nightmare.

And the twins were on the Zippleback, each twin was on the head that they had trained. Off they took off to get to the Dragon's Nest.

As Hester led the way, she crossed her eyes and vowed: "Don't worry bud. We're going to get you back. And we're going to end this. Once. And for all,"

* * *

**So sorry about the delay. i was on holiday doing activities with my grandparents and sister. But i'm here again. Hopefully this story and a sequel will be done. **


	17. The Battle Part 1

**The Battle on the Island Part 1:**

Out at sea, Stoick had forced Toothless to guide them to the island without bumping into any sea stacks or into any other sort of obstacles guarding the shores of the Dragon Night.

They had finally made it to a pebble beach laying just in front of a towering wall of stone. "This must be the place," he realised. After years of searching, he had finally found the Dragon's Nest – the reluctant assistance of a harnessed dragon of course. He turned to his legion of ships. "Prepare yourselves,"

The Vikings all jumped off. Toothless was left behind, still chained and wrapped tight in his bounds. They readied catapults, their weapons and spikes of wood stuck into the ground.

Stoick was drawing a plan on the sand. "When we crack this mountain open, all hell is going to break loose,"  
"In my undies," Gobber said standing by. "Good thing I brought extras,"

The Vikings surrounding them cringed in disgust. Stoick took no notice. Instead he stepped forward, his bold lips giving out as he lifted up an open fist: "No matter how this ends, it ends today," he closed his fist.

That signaled the line of five towering catapults to fire mighty boulders at the side of the mountain.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Then Crash!

A large magnificent hole was broken open. All Stoick could see was darkness as he stepped forward, wielding a mighty hammer and shield.

Toothless (still chained to the boat) saw them all flying away into the foggy air. He knew that trouble would be amidst very soon, for he could see terror amongst the fleeing flying reptiles. **"Oh, Hester,"** he mourned. **"Where are you?"** he felt very scared – wishing that somehow, someway she would find herself back to him again.

The Berkians watched as they disappeared out of sight.

"Is that it?" Gobber asked confusedly. He had expected the dragons to attack them – all they did was just flee away like cowards.

Everyone else was just relived that it seemed to be finally over. Spitelout was the first to cheer out with pride for their supposed victor. "We've done it!"

Everyone started cheering away like mad.

Stoick, on the other hand, felt in his gut that something still wasn't right. "This isn't over!" he silenced everyone. "Form your ranks! Hold together!" he turned back inside the seemingly empty cave.

Suddenly, there was a huge crack crawling its way towards him and right after that there was an ear-piercing roar that made everyone cover their ears. The roar even made the boats rattle about on the water.

Stoick eye's widened when he saw something visible moving towards him and out of the cave. He made a run for it so did Gobber and everyone else.

"Get clear!" Stoick ordered. All the men and women made a run for it with a shriek of terror.

Just then the Red Death burst through the wall showing tons of rocks everywhere. It roared at the intruders on its island. **"Who dares to coem to my home? Who dares to scare away my servants?"**

"Beard of Thor... what is that?" Gobber asked loudly in a scared tone.

Stoick stared up at the dragon with wide eyes. "Odin, help us," he prayed fearfully. This was what Hester had tried to warn him about. But he selfishly didn't listen to her and instead disowned her. He owed her a very, very huge apology. His shift shifted from regret to staying alive. "Catapults!" he commanded.

The catapults unleashed a rain of boulders at the gigantic volcano beast but they did no harm at all.

"**Is that all you got?"** the Red Death demanded. **"Take this," **she snapped her huge mighty jaws and destroyed them with one gigantic bite.

"Get to the ships!" a Viking ordered seeing as there was nowhere to defeat that beast.

Stoick eyes widened as she saw the Red Death lifted its head up and opening its mouth. He knew what it was goanna do. "No! NO!" he screamed.

"**No one escapes my island!"** the Red Death fired a deadly might swarm of fire on the ships taking them all out with one stream. The Vikings that had remained bheind on the ships jumped off into the water.

Toothless's heart lifted into his throat and his ear-like appentages flapped up in fear as fire was engulfing the ship he was on. He tried to get out but it was no use. He was just stuck tight. **"Oh Hester, where are you?"** he pleaded. **"Please help me," **

"I was a fool," Stoick cursed himself as they all grouped together. It was his fault that they were now all in danger. He twisted his head to Spitelout. "Lead the men to the far side of the island," he ordered.  
"Right," Spitelout obeyed. "Everybody to the far side of the island!"

Everyone started following him whilst Stoick was heading off back towards the Red Death. His plan was to distract it whilst the others would make a run for it to safety. He noticed that Gobber was with them.

"Gobber, go with the men," he ordered. He would not allow his closest companion and friend to die.  
"If you think you can do something crazy without me, you're quite mistaken," Gobber refused.

"I can buy them a few minutes if I give that thing someone to hunt," Stoick stammered. "I won't risk you getting harmed," he held up his fist to

"Well I can double that time," Gobber counter-argued. "I stand by you – wherever you go – or whatever you do,"

Stoick nodded with approval for his closest companion's friendship. They turned and made a charge for the gigantic dragon.

"HERE!" Stoick cried out loudly in battle mode.  
**"**Oh, no, HERE!" Gobber cried out in battle mode too.

They charged at the gigantic dragon. Stoick grabbed a wooden spike out of the ground and threw it like a spear at the Red Death's head. It poked it in the eye making it cry out in pain.

"**Who dares to do that to me?" **she demanded. She spotted Stoick. **"You shall pay for that," **she lowered her jaw to kill him with a single bite and swallow.

She was about too when another wooden spike hit her, this time in her nostril. She snarled and saw Gobber.

"Come on! Bite me!" Gobber goaded with dark daring eyes.

"No, me!" Stoick

"**I'll burn you two alive!" **the Red Death bellowed. It was about to fire a might swarm of flame on both of them when suddenly it was struck behind the head. **"Oww!"**

Stoick froze as he saw what was happening.

From behind the Red Death's head flew few dragons with riders rising astride them.

"Ruff, Tuff, watch your backs! Move, Fishlegs!" Hester commanded as she was leading the way on the Nadder with Astrid commanded.

"What the…" Stoick mouthed out, feeling aghast.

"LOOK AT US! WE'RE ON A DRAGON! WE'RE ON DRAGONS! ALL OF US!" Tuffnut cheered for joy as everyone eyed all the humans flying on dragons.

"Up, let's move it!" Hester ordered.

Stoick eyed her in surprise. He had never ever seen her lead like this before. This was what she had tried to prove to him. Peace was possible. There was so much more to those dragons than they all thought.

"That girl is every bit the boar-headed, stubborn Viking you ever were!" Gobber remarked firmly.

Stoick couldn't help but nod in agreement. That Hester was something. He definitely needed to make up to her for everything he had put her through.

Up in the air, Hester eyed the Red Death. "Okay! We need to keep the Red Death from harming the others until they get to safety," She turned

"Okay! Sig, Garsir, hang in its blind spot! Make some noise, keep it confused! Ruff, Tuff, find out if it has a shot limit! Make it mad!  
"That's my specialty!" Ruffnut remarked approvingly of herself.

"Since when?! Everyone knows _I'm_ more irritating!" Tuffnut wanted to be more irritable than his sister. "See?!" he made his dragon's head hang upside before making a mocking noise.

"Tuffnut!" Hester chided. "This is not the time for games. Just do what I told you! Now go everyone. Be careful,"

"Don't worry, we got it covered!" Garsir called after her.

"Be careful!" Sigmudn shouted to her too. The last thing he ever wanted was for her to get hurt.

Hester turned her head to meet his and she gave a promising nod.

Garsir and Sgimund led their group towards the Red Death ready to fight it and save everyone. The twins flew in front of the Red Death – eager to goad it into firing.

"Troll!" Tuffnut goaded.  
"Butt-Elf!" Ruffnut mocked loudly.  
"Bride of Grendel!" Tuffnut added.

Both the twins cackled.

"**Take that!"** the Red Death fired at the twins and their dragon. The Zippleback narrowly dodged it.

"**And that!"** the Red Death fired again. Again, the Zippleback narrowly dodged it by an inch. They flew away to get their riders to safety.

Sigmund steered the Gronkle to the right side of the gigantic dragon's head. Fishlegs started banging his hammer against the shield to make noise.

"Any luck Fishlegs?" Sigmund asked.

"Uh, this thing doesn't have a blind spot!" Fishlegs answered nervously.

Up the air still, Hester with Astrid on the Nadder was peering down, desperately searching for her dragon.

"Where are you, Toothless?" she whimpered.

Back on the burning ship, Toothless tried to release himself but it was no use at all. **"It's no use,"** he lamented. Just when he was about to give up, his eyes widened when he saw his Hester flying up in the air with Astrid on a Nadder.

"**Hester" he roared. "I'm down here!"**

Hester heard his roaring. She twisted her head and saw him in the fleet of burning ships. Her eyes widened in both fear and relief. "There!" she steered the Nadder.

The Nadder headed towards the ships – particularly the one that Toothless was trapped on. As they did, Hester turned her head to Astrid. "Astrid, you need to ride the Nadder by yourself whilst I free Toothless,"

"Hester – I can't do it," Astrid panicked.

"What do you mean, you can't?" Hester asked. "I now you can! You're a tough warrior. So you're tough enough to ride a dragon,"

"Okay," Astrid gave in.

Hester shifted aside to allow Astrid to get in front and take hold of the rope holding them to the Nadder. Once the Nadder was above Toothless's ship, Hester leapt down and landed next to him.

She looked back up to Astrid. "Go help the others!"

"Be careful, Hester!" Astrid called as she steered the Nadder away.

"Hold on, bud. Hold on!" Hester pulled the muzzle off Toothless and hugged his head as tighlty as she could.

"**I'm so glad you're here, Hester,"** Toothless squealed with relief before licking her. **"I was afraid I'd never seen you again," **

"I'm never letting this happen to you again," Hester vowed. "Now let's get you out of this," she grabbed a spear and began to pick away the metal hoops with the chains holding him down.

As a team, Sigmund, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Garsir were working well with dealing with the gigantic dragon. Whilst Sigmund and Garsir kept hold of the dragons, Fishlegs and Snotlout made noise to confuse the Dragon.

"It's working!" Snotlout cheered.  
"Yeah! It's working!" Fishlegs cheered back.

"Keep it up as long as you can!" Sigmund commanded.

"We can't let that dragon get undistracted. Not even for a minute!" Garsir shouted determinedly.

Just when it seemed their plan was working, the Red Death shook herself free of the trance they had placed her under with their noise making.

"**Nice try!" **the Red Death mocked. **"But I'm too powerful for that," **

The teens eyes widened. Right after, the Red Death rammed her head into the Monstrous Nightmare sending flying into the ground. Snotlout and Sigmund landed with a thud but were protecting the Monstrous Nightmare wrapping its wings around them.

The Red Death next rammed her head into Fishlegs and Sigmund on the Gronkle. They landed onto the stony ground. Sigmund landed painfully on his back whilst Fishlegs landed under the Gronkle's heavy bulbous body.

Sigmund cringed in pain as he lifted himself up. His eyes enlarged when he saw the Red Death about to crush Fishlegs and the Gronkle. Fishlegs screamed as the gigantic foot rising to crush him and the Gronkle. He tried to get away but the Gronkle's heavy body pushing him down prevented him.

"Fishlegs!" Sigmund screamed. That motivation made jolt to his side. "Wake up, Gronkle!" he shouted. "Wake up!" the Gronkle wouldn't wake up. "Wake up!" this time Sigmund slapped the Gronkle's face as she jolted up. Sigmund started shoving her off Fishlegs. The Gronkle managed to get that he wanted her to come so she did and just in time, Sigmund pulled the dazed-out Fishlegs before the foot could crash them.

"**Curses!"** the Red Death shouted. Her eyes suddenly caught attention of Hester and the Night Fury. **"Time to crash that Night Fury and the girl he seems to care about," **


	18. The Final Battle Part 2

**The Battle on the Island Part 2: **

Suddenly the Red Death stomped its massive foot and claws onto the ship and Toothless was sent sinking to the bottom.

"Hester!" Garsir screamed. He made a run towards the ships.

But the Red Death saw him and roared. **"You're not saving anyone!"**

Garsir heard her roar. He looked up and saw her roar. The next thing he saw was a gigantic paw rising up and hovering over him. Right after that, it started lowering down, ready to squish him to death.

Before he could get squashed like a pancake, Gobber came out of nowhere and pulled him away to safety.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm okay. Thanks dad," he said, panting out of fear. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this. Please don't hate me for befriending a dragon with Hester,"

"I don't hate you. I love you son, no matter what," Gobber spoke wholeheartedly. He pulled his son into a warm, tight embrace.

Back in the sea, Hester dived down to try to save Toothless.

She reached him. She tried to pull Toothless free but it was no use. She was just not strong enough to pull the chains off. To make matters worse, she started running out of oxygen. Toothless noticed. He couldn't bear to watch her die from lack of air.

"**Go," **Toothless pleaded. **"Before you drown yourself,"**

Hester shook her head and instead held onto his head. She would never leave him. She would rather drown with him.

Suddenly, a massive hand came out of nowhere, gripped her vest top and pulled up her.

"**Hester!"** Toothless screamed.

Stoick burst out of the water and pulled an overly wet and panted Hester onto the shore and laid her down. He turned back around and dove back down to Toothless.

Hester coughed up water and rubbed her eyes. "Hester!" her head turned and she saw Sigmund and Garsir sprinting to her, settling down on their knees by her.

"Hester! Are you okay?!" Sigmund asked panting for her life.

"I'm okay," Hester murmured quietly.

"Are you sure?" Garsir asked, desperate for her life.

"Yeah," Hester nodded as they helped her sit up. "Wait, a minute. Toothless!"

Toothless prepared to accept death when he saw Stoick unexpectantly diving down to him. He stared at him viciously. Until Stoick used his bold bare hands to rip apart his chains.

Toothless flew out of the water pulling Stoick up with him. He laid him down on the bank and perched on a rock near a relived Hester, Sigmund and Garsir.

"**Come on, Hester. We have to end this once and for all," **Toothless declared.

"You got it, bud," Hester nodded.

"Hester, wait!" Stoick pleaded, spotting her from where he was.

"I have nothing to say to you," she twisted her head to him looking hatefully into his eyes from their short distance.

"Hester. I'm sorry. For everything," Stoick gave out, shamefully. "I never should have put you down all your life. All I wanted was do was protect you and prepare you for life. But all I did was hurt you in the most horrible ways ever,"

"You're darn right you did!" Hester agreed bitterly. "You slapped me. You disowned me. You locked me up. Not to mention also the only people who loved me for who I was. And how was it that I was never good enough for you in the first place?"

"What is your problem?" Sigmund demanded. "Hester can't help being born different than you. How is it that the person she is not good enough for her?" his eyebrows frowned and his hands were crossed disapprovingly.

"We love her just the way she is," Garsir proclaimed. "As does Toothless. Why can't you?"

Stoick was silent. He couldn't say anything.

"Just as we thought," Garsir relied back on upon the breaking-chief bluntly. The boys turned their backs to the downtrod chief. "Let's go, Hester,

"No guys," Hester shook her head. "This is something I have to do alone with Toothless," she was determined to not let the boys she loved get harmed.

"But…" Sigmund attempted.

"No!" Hester refused yet again. "I'd never forgiven myself if you guys got hurt. I just want to let you guys know if I don't make it…thank you. For everything. You guys are my family and my world besides Toothless,"

The boys were touched by her words.

"Let's go, bud," Hester urged once they were distracted by her truthful words.

"No!" the boys screamed once they had the chance.

But it was too late. Toothless had already taken off. They soared high into the sky catching the eyes of everyone else standing below. Hester twisted her head and saw the Red Death's wings tucked in.

"That thing has wings! Okay, let's see if it can use them!"

"**I don't like where this is going but let's do it!"** once Toothless was high enough, he went into a super-sonic falcon diving. They were diving faster towards the gigantic dragon – faster than the speed of sound.

BOOM

Toothless fired a super-sonic plasma powered up by his diving speed at the Red Death and it roared in pain as it fell to the ground.

"**That's it!" **The Red Death sneered. It lifted up his massive wings. Hundreds of Vikings watched tensely as they saw

"Do you think that did it?" Hester asked Toothless. She looked back and saw that the Red Death was flying right behind them. Anger was boiling in its eyes and a monstrous set of teeth ready to snap and devour them.

"**I'm going to kill you both,"** the Red Death swore loudly.

"Let's do this bud!" Hester said.

"**Catch us if you can!"** Toothless goaded to the Red Death. He started flying forward at the fastest he possibly could. It was turning into a chase game.

The Red Death pursued them determined to complete her goal. Toothless led her to groups of standing sea stacks and with every dodge he took around or over them, the Red Death crashed into the them, unable to catch them.

Sigmund and Garsir watched with fear as they witnessed what Hester was doing. They held their breaths.

Everyone else was watching fearfully at the flying duo. _What was Hester doing? _they thought. _Was she risking her life to save them? Even after everything they ever did to her? _

Hester turned her head and saw the Red Death wasn't slowing down from all the crashes they had made her do during their chase game in the sea stack maze. She spotted dark clouds hovering thousands of feet above their heads. An idea sparked. "Okay, Toothless, time to disappear!" she alarmed her dragon who she had considered more brother than friend.

_Click_

She clicked the tail fin out allowing Toothless to fly up. "Come on, bud! You can do it" she urged.

"**Up we go!" **Toothless rocked up into the sky.

The Red Death tried to blast them with a giant fire ball, but it missed. It started to pursue them. **"You can't lose me that easily," **

Everyone on the ground watched as the flyers disappeared into the sky.

Just when the Red Death managed to close enough to bite and swallow Hester and Toothless whole, they disappeared into the thin air.

She stopped in mid-air air. She hovered, steering around to try and spot them. **"Where are you two?" **She roared out in anger as she couldn't find them.

Down below, the Vikings and dragons could hear its angry moans and groans.

"I hope they know what they're doing," Sigmund whispered in fear to Garsir.

"I hope so too," Garsir clutched to Sig's hand in anxiety too.

Everyone else was petrified in their places. Stoick. Gobber. Astrid. The teens. Everyone.

The Red Death wasn't ready to give up until she'd finished Toothless and Hester. Suddenly, she heard a whooshing noise, faster than the speed of sound.

_Boom!_

A plasma had struck the Red Death's wing.

"**Ow!" **she cried.

_Boom! _Another plasma blast struck. Then another. and another. and another.

"**Take that!" **Toothless jeered.

"**Take this!" **The Red Death started breathed out a flying river of fire all around herself.

"Watch out!" Hester screamed when she saw the fiery swarm heading towards them.

"Hold on!" Toothless dodged the flying river of fire to save Hester but it wasn't enough. His tail fin got caught on fire.

"Oh no," Hester breathed out – time was running out. "Your fin! Toothless! We must do it now! Let's see if this works,"

"**I'm with you every step of the way," **Toothless turned and started diving towards the evil dragon queen.  
"COME ON! IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?!" Hester challenged loudly.

"**You're pathetic!"** Toothless roared.

"**PATHETIC?"** The Red Death was angered. **"I'll show you two who's pathetic!"** it bit at the flying pair but missed.

Toothless went back down into a falcon dive and the Red Death pursued them again. However, he was getting quite tired and he could feel the Red Death getting closer to them.

Hester sensed how he was feeling as well as his fear. "Stay with me, buddy. We're good. Just a little bit longer," she pleaded. "We can do it!"

The Red Death scrunched her eyes and she prepared a ball of fiery gas in her throat.

Hester sensed and heard the fire building up behind them in the Red Death's mouth. "Hold, Toothless... NOW!"

Toothless rotated round and faced the mouth whilst he was still falling down. The Red Death opened its mouth but before it could unleash its fiery built-up gas, Toothless blasted a plasma blast inside her mouth.

"**I'm burning!" **the Red Death screamed.

"**It's time you paid for everything you've done,"** Toothless snarled. He turned back round and saw that they were only a hundred feet from the ground. **"Hester, hang on!"**

He opened out his wings and an upthrust carried him and his human far into the air. He managed to dodge the teeth of the plunging flightless beast.

The Red Death crashed headfirst into the ground creating a gigantic thundering fiery explosion that seemed to engulf the whole area.

Every Berkian and dragon covered their heads and kneeled down to brace themselves.

As rider and dragon flew up higher and higher past the Red Death's spikes, the fire was closing in behind them.

Hester repeatedly clicked on the riding gear to help Toothless steer but the burnt tail fin fell off. He was once again flightless. "No!" Hester screamed. What were they goanna do?

"**Hester!"** Toothless screamed catching her attention. They were coming up near the Red Death's tail bludgeon. **"I can't turn!"**  
"No! NO!" Hester screamed.

_Crash_

Hester was knocked off Toothless's back unconscious.

"**Hester!"** Toothless shouted as he saw his human plunged down in the fiery explosion. **"Hang on!"** he flapped his wings and he dove after his person. He managed to reach her just as the fire overtook everything around them.

All went black.

* * *

**So sorry for taking long. My laptop was away getting fixed. I'll get this done as soon as possible. Please keep sending ideas.**


	19. Hester is Alive

**Hester is Alive:**

Down below, everyone stood up. They saw nothing but fog and smoke. The Red Death was gone. Gone forever. Never to again force innocent dragons to steal from innocent people.

"It's gone," Garsir breathed out.

"It's done," Sig breathed out too.

They suddenly remembered two certain people.

"Where are Hester and Toothless?" Sig questioned uneasily.

"Oh no," Garsir felt speechless.

They ran towards the smoky mist. Everyone else started trailing behind them including Stoick, Gobber, Astrid and the teens.

"Hester!" the boys called out. They couldn't see anything but smoke and ash everywhere. They took great care to stay in view of one another.

"Hester! Where are you?" Garsir shrieked.

"Hester! Don't be dead please!" Sigmund begged.

Right after that, the boys caught sight of Toothless. He was lying yards away on his side with his eyes closed.

They sprinted to his side and fell on their knees.

Their hearts split apart when they saw no sign of Hester alive and a scortched saddle along with a destroyed fin.

Toothless was groaning in his sleep. He moaned in pain as he twisted his head to the side.

"No," Sig breathed out. "It can't be,"

"No," Garsir breathed out. It couldn't be true.

They fell on their knees and started crying. They hugged one another.

Everyone else came forward and were shocked at what they saw. Stoick saw there was no sign of his seemly deceased daughter. He gasped. He tried to run forward towards Toothless. Once Sig heard his steps, his eyes turned on Stoick. Anger started boiling them. He snarled his teeth. He realised himself from Garsir's embrace and lashed out at Stoick.

"This is all your fault!" Sig shouted stepping out at Stoick.

Stoick actually backed off and stopped in his tracks.

"You did this to her!" Sig shouted. "If you had just listened to her and had been a better father, none of this would have happened!"

"I didn't…" Stoick tried to say back.

"Didn't what…?!" Sig demanded.

Stoick couldn't say anything back. He simply just stood back more in shame. He deserved no sympathy for everything he had done to Hester.

Now it was Garsir's turn. Not just at Stoick but everyone who was standing right there. He kneeled up and faced everyone with a furious devastated face.

"All of you are responsible for this!" Garsir proclaimed. "All of you did this to her!"

His words were hurtful but true. Hurtful but true.

Everyone bowed their heads in shame. Including the other teenagers. Gobber didn't really need to because he never treated her badly. But a part of him felt very guilty for her death.

"What did Hester ever do to any of you?! What did she do to any of you to get disrespected?! Downtrodden?! Beaten down like she was nothing?! She may have been born different from all of you! But she was born different for a reason. She was born different because she was born to end this highly unnecessary war! And look at what it has all led to. She sacrificed herself to save us all because of how she had more bravery and humanity than any of us ever had and ever will! And do you all want to know what's worse?!"

Everyone decided to look up at him to face his fiery fury. They had to. They needed to.

"That none of you could even make up to her for how you all treated her selfishly!"

Everyone especially Stoick and Astrid looked down in shame again. Astrid felt guilty to the core for betraying Hester's friendship. All she cared about was her family's honour. And that made her selfish, arrogant, unkind and a bunch of other things that showed how cold-hearted she had become.

The dragons standing behind them looked at them disapprovingly. They turned and looked over them to the boys. They held sorrowful sympathetic faces to them showing how sorry they were for them for losing someone they held so dear to their hearts.

Garsir and Sigmund went back to their grieving. They kneeled back down in front of Toothless and hugged each other.

"**Boys…"** Toothless groaned as he woke up.

The boys turned to him. They saw sorrow and something uncanny resting inside them.

"Oh, Toothless…" Sig wept as he reached forward and placed a hand on his head. "Thank Odin you survived,"

"You were so brave. Like Hester," Garsir said as well as he kneeled forward.

"If only she was still alive," Sig cried again.

Toothless was moved by their tears. He groaned remoursefully for them. He opened his wings revealing Hester wrapped in his paws.

"Hester!" the boys screamed.

Sigmund pulled Hester into her arms. He pressed his ear against her chest and she felt her heart faintly beating. "She's alive!"

"She's alive!" Garsir gasped. "You did it Toothless! You brought her back alive!"

"**Thank goodness!"** Toothless cooed happily.

They could hear shocks and gasps from behind them. They saw everyone talking between them about Hester's survival. It seemed like they were elated.

However, the boys didn't want to let anyone near Hester. They were undeserving of having the chance to see her and help her.

They saw Stoick trying to run towards them.

"You stay away!" Garsir ordered standing between Stoick and Sigmund still holding Hester's body.

"Can't I see my daughter?" Stoick asked in tears.

"No way!" Sigmund refused from behind Garsir. "After everything you did to her and how you coldly disowned her, neglected her and abused her, you will not be coming anywhere near her,"

"I just want to hold her," Stoick pleaded.

"Well you know what? Go and hurt someone else and act like you're better than them! It's what you do best!" Garsir hissed. Stoick was struck in his place. "It's what all you all do best!" he proclaimed truthfully to everyone else, except of course his father.

Sigmund stood up and carried the unconscious Hester bridle-style in his arms. Toothless weakly stood up on his four paws with Garsir's assistance.

The two boys walked through the crowd with Toothless dreading slowly and weakly behind. As he passed by them all, he growled at every face he saw angrily as he was so ashamed of how they treated Hester.

As he passed by, Garsir took his father's hand and pulled him along with him. He didn't want to leave behind his father.

As he walked by his adoptive parents and Fishlegs, Sigmund couldn't show anger to them. Instead, he turned away feeling upset with them.

They all walked a fine distance away until they reached the stony beach again.

"How are we gonna get back?" Garsir asked. "There are no boats and Toothless can't fly,"

"**I can help,"**

The boys turned up to see the trained Monstrous Nightmare standing at their side. They were surprised by how willing he was to help them.

"**We'll help too," **a different dragon roared. This time it was the Deadly Nadder. She landed near the boys with the Gronkle and the Zippleback near her side.

Moments later, Toothless was being carried in the Monstrous Nightmare's talons and he rested from his fall still. It took a while for him to accept to be carried considering the fact this dragon had attacked Hester before. Though thanks to some explaining from Garsir and Sigmund, Toothless accepted the help.

Sigmund rode the Deadly Nadder with Hester still in his arms. She was pale and looked she would die if no help came soon.

Garsir rode on the Gronkle. His father sat behind him holding his waist tightly and the Zippleback flew beside them. Gobber was feeling very uneasy about this. The Gronkle particularly didn't want him to fly on her back, however thanks to some convincing from Garsir that Gobber wasn't a threat to her anymore she agreed.

Before they left the island, they pulled inside some wrecked burnt ships and left behind some rope. Although they despised the Berkians (except Gobber) for how they treated Hester, they couldn't leave them stranded. It would have made them worse than them. That was what Gobber told them. Although a part of him felt disappointed with Stoick for not being there for Hester unlike him, another part of him told him to at least give him and the other's a chance to get off the island.

The Berkians watched as they disappeared out of sight. They were slightly grateful they'd pulled in wrecked ships and left behind loads of rope so they could build rafts. Stoick above all else was the most shamed. He had sworn to his deceased wife Valka that he would protect their daughter; he had let her down for the past fifteen years. The boys were right.

He was undeserving of Hester's love and sympathy. He prayed to Odin that he would get a chance to apologize to Hester for everything; he felt in his heart that it would likely never happen.


	20. Healing Hester

**Healing Hester: **

The Dragons flew across the ocean back towards Berk. They were very quiet. Sigmund was doing his best to keep Hester warm. Gobber had even tossed him his vest to wrap around her. Silence had overtaken them for a long period of moments.

"We have to hurry!" Sigmund broke the silence with his shriek. "Hester's getting colder and pale by the minute! And her left leg is so badly wounded!"

"Then we must hurry," Garsir insisted.

"Guys look!" Gobber pointed ahead and everyone's eyes widened at the sight of Berk.

"We're back!" Garsir cheered in a serious voice. "Thank goodness,"

Mothers and children down below in the village gasped upon seeing dragons flying above their heads. Mothers pushed children behind their backs and had weapons armed. However, their lips parted upon seeing humans riding them. What really confused them was that they weren't attacking them. Instead they just headed upwards towards Gothi's hut placed at the very top of the mountain. The very tall mountain that the Great Hall was carved into.

Gothi opened her door to see who had landed on the wooden deck supporting her ship. She stumbled back a few steps, but she reared her staff out.

"Easy Gothi," Gobber soothed. "Nothing to be afraid of,"

"Please Gothi. Don't be afraid," Garsir slipped off the Gronkle. "These dragons won't harm you. They're friendly and gentle. I promise you,"

"Gothi! You must help Hester!" Sigmund quickly jumped off the Nadder carrying Hester in his arms. "She's pale and she's dying!"

Gothi motioned them inside. The three boys and Toothless followed her inside and Sigmund laid a dying Hester on the healing bed. Toothless stood right next to her sleeping head and refused to move away. Garsir and Gobber dashed to cupboards and shelves to grab and bring some bottles and pots of herbs and broths to a small table near Hester's side.

Gothi settled herself in front of Hester but turned to the two teenage boys. Gobber, seeing the look on her face knew what she wanted them to do.

"Uh boys, I think Gothi believes it would be better if you waited outside," Gobber gently said.

"But we can't leave her dad," Garsir refused.

"I know my son. I know. But it's for the best," Gobber placed comfort on their shoulders.

Reluctantly, the two boys sighed and joined hands to head outside. Gobber turned to Toothless. "That goes for you as well Mr. Night Fury. You should join them outside and keep them company,"

"Gobber, Gothi, let Toothless stay with Hester at least," Sigmund required. He shared a knowing look with a worried Toothless. Sig and Garsir stepped outside and closed the door. For hours they slumped onto their buts and crossed their legs doing nothing but thinking and hoping for their best friend. The dragons still standing and sitting near them to keep them company growled softly to comfort them. They licked their faces and gently nudged their backs to assure them that they weren't alone.

It was near nightfall. Gobber came outside. Once he alerted their presence, the boys jolted onto the feet and came in front of him.

"Well…" Sigmund anxiously trailed off.

Gobber looked very sad. He rustled his fingers and hook together. "I'm afraid…" he didn't how he could say what he had to say.

"Please tell us dad," Garsir begged.

"Please?" Sig begged too.

Finally, Gobber gave in. "I'm afraid Hester's left leg was…amputated,"

The boy's gasped and stumbled back in shock.

"What?" Sigmund breathed out speechlessly.

"Why?" Garsir's eyes were spilling tears.

"I'm afraid it was too damaged beyond repair. But she will be fine. She's still alive. That's what matters," Gobber promised. "She's still quite pale. It will be very long before she wakes up,"

"How long?" Sigmund asks fearfully.

"I don't know," Gobber confessed. "But she will be up soon. Until then she has to remain inside Gothi's hut," His line of vision peered over their heads. They widened at the sight of make-shift ships; what all caught his eyes was that there were dragons flying above them too and they were pulling them along. There were even some Vikings flying on them. "Guys look!"

The boys turned and were bemused at the sight.

"Wow," Sigmund couldn't help but amuse at the sight.

"It seems the teens taught them Hester's training techniques," Garsir said as he couldn't help but feel actually impressed.

"I should go and keep them from coming here," Gobber said as he could easily estimate that the boys didn't want anyone coming near her. "Wanna come boys? I know you guys are angered at the villagers,"

"We're not going down there," Garsir refused.

"We are staying here with Hester and Toothless," Sigmund proclaimed.

"Alright. I'll come by in a bit and see how you two are in a while," Gobber promised.

"You guys should go and greet your new riders," Sigmund addressed to the other dragons.

The dragons looked like they were refusing. "I know that they weren't nice at all. Believe me, we still don't like them at all. But I think they've started to like you,"

The dragons seemed to be convinced.

"If you want to come and visit us up here then you can whenever you want," Garsir offered. "Just please don't bring the other teens,"

"**Of course," **They all chirped at once.

The four dragons took off and dived down below to meet the other teens. Gobber who wasn't able to get a ride was forced to walk down the towering staircase of stairs to the very bottom.

Half an hour later and Gobber reached the village. He saw the teens stroking all their new dragons that they had befriended and all the Vikings who were showing kindness to all those new dragons. He even noticed that Stoick was smiling a little at how happy his people were.

"Took you guys long enough," he alerted everyone of where he was.

"You can thank me for that Gobber," Snotlout arrogantly boasted. Astrid suddenly punched him.

"He means you can thank all of us," she gestured to herself, Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins.

"We used Hester's training techniques to help these people train the dragons when they came back to the island and well…here we are," Fishlegs explained.

"It took a long while," Astrid admitted. "But it all got done in the end,"

"Wait a minute. Where are Hester, Garsir and Sigmund?" Ruffnut suddenly asked.

"They're up there in Gothi's hut with the Night Fury," Gobber pointed up.

"Shouldn't they be here to greet us too?" Tuffnut asked impolitely.

Gobber glared at Tuffnut. So did the other teens.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You shouldn't ask something like that," Fishlegs berated. "Not after everything the boys shouted at all of us back on the island,"

"How is she Gobber?" Stoick asked desperately as he came up to them.

"She's doing well chief," Gobber assured. He forced himself to confess the truth. "I'm afraid…her leg had to be amputated,"

Stoick was struck in the place. So were the other teens.

"Was there really nothing Gothi could do?" Fishlegs asked.

"I'm afraid not," Gobber answered remorsefully. "She's alive still. That's what matters. It'll be a long while before she wakes up,"

He noticed Stoick was eying the hut on the mountain's top a bit tearfully.

"I really wouldn't go up there if I were you Stoick," he advised the chief. "The boys are still very angered at you and they wouldn't let you inside,"

"You're right, Gobber. They wouldn't," Stoick was remorse, holding his head down with heart-breaking shame.

Inside Gothi's hut, Hester was covered under a furry blanket and her gentle head rested against a fluffy cushion. Her arms were laid on her sides. Toothless stared at his sleeping human sister-in-arms. He licked her hand hoping it would make her stir and wake up.

But it didn't.

He even licked her cheeks.

Nothing happened either.

"**Oh, Hester please wake,"** Toothless begged in tears.** "Don't leave me. This world means nothing without you in it," **

_Creak_

He snarled and turned around, ready to protect Hester. Inside came Sigmund and Garsir.

"It's alright. It's us two," Sigmund assured.

"Easy Toothless," Garsir soothed.

Toothless let down his guard and groaned sadly. **"Sorry. I was just trying to protect Hester,"**

The boys didn't need Hester's gift to know what he was saying.

"It's okay boy," Sigmund stroked his face.

"We'd do the same as well," Garsir comforted. "We're goanna stay with you. You're not the only one who doesn't want to leave Hester alone. No one else except my father and the dragons are goanna come in here. Not while we're here,"

"Exactly," Sigmund pointed out.

And so, the waiting game began. The game to stay as patient and calm as possible until Hester would awake from her slumber.


	21. Hester wakes The Trio and Fury leave

**Hester wakes up / The Trio and the Fury parting: **

Toothless never left Hester's side. Not even for a moment. Neither did her boys. They all just stayed day after day, night after night inside Gothi's hut waiting for her to wake up from her slumber. At Gothi was uncomfortable with the number of people sleeping on the bottom floor of her hut but just as long as they didn't make any noise then they would be alright. Gobber would frequently visit them.

_(Six weeks later) _

Sunlight. That was the first thing Hester could see as she felt her eyes flicking their lids up.

Her mouth croaked a small croak.

Toothless's ear flaps flicked up as they captured a noise. **"It couldn't be. Could it?"** His heart was suddenly filled with hope. He lifted up his head and saw Hester's beautiful eyes opening.

"Toothless?" Hester croaked out as all she could see was him.

Toothless nuzzled her face and she lifted up her hands to hold his face. **"You're alive! You're alive!"** he licked her face.

"Okay! Okay! Bud! I'm here! I'm here!" Hester burst out laughing as the licking tickled her.

"Hester?" two familiar voices breathed out.

Toothless looked back. He moved aside a bit to reveal Sigmund and Garsir wake up. Their eyes were glued to Hester and their mouths were wide open.

"Guys?" Hester breathed out speechlessly.

In less than a millisecond, Hester was pulled into a tight embrace by her boys.

"You're okay!" Garsir squealed with delight.

"I thought we lost you," Sigmund shed tears of joy that was waiting to be spilt out.

"You guys have no happy I am to see you!" Hester squealed with tears of joy. She looked around her surroundings. "Where are we?"

"We're in Gothi's house. Back on Berk," Garsir answered.

"The three of us stayed by your side all the time," Sigmund expressed.

"Really?" Hester asked, exquisitely. She felt full of love. She suddenly felt something hard on her left leg. She pulled off her blanket and her eyes widened. She placed down her feet and saw her left foot was a prosthetic metal one.

"Gothi couldn't heal it. You had to have an amputation," Sigmund sadly confessed.

"It's goanna take a miracle to walk on it," Hester groaned.

"Hester you can do it," Garsir tried to encourage her. "We know you can. Just try,"

It took a short moment for Hester to breathe in and out. Leaning against Sigmund for support, she managed to stand up. Sigmund let go a bit. She attempted to walk. She managed to take a step forward on her right foot but on the left foot…

Garsir and Toothless's head quickly caught Hester before she could fall on the floor.

"Thanks guys," Hester said.

Suddenly a door opened revealing Gobber. Once he saw the three, his heart was lifted.

"Hester! You're alive!" Gobber screamed for joy. He lifted Hester up into a tight hug and Hester hugged him back.

"How's your new leg?" he asked.

"It is gonna take a while to get used. And it might make a few tweaks," Hester said.

"Hey Hester, you must come and see this!" Gobber suddenly pulled her out.

"Dad! Stop!" Garsir shouted.

"Look!" Gobber pointed downwards from where they were.

Hester's eyes widened when she saw dragons everywhere in the village. Nadders. Nightmares. Gronkles. Zipplebacks. Terrible Terrors. All of them. It was amazing. She saw no one was fighting them. They were nurturing them. Caring for them with love and friendship.

"I knew it. I'm dead," she blurted out.

"No. You're not," Gobber shook his head.

"Whilst you were still in your slumber, everyone else arrived back on dragons. The teens taught them how to train them using the tricks you showed," Garsir explained.

"Hey Hester, you should come down and see all your new fans," Gobber eagerly expressed.

At the sound of _fans, _Hester started to feel uneasy. "Wait a minute. What do you mean by fans?"

"All the Berkians down there,"

"I can't go down there," Hester refused.  
"What? Why?!" Gobber demanded childishly.

"Gobber – I'm not ready to see anyone else again. Not after everything that's happened," Hester confessed uneasily as she rubbed her forearms with her hands as they crossed their chest to try and soothe her anxiety flowing through her veins. "I can't really see them right away. Especially because…" Hester sighed. She was quiet for a while. Then she spoke again. "I can't see them. Not after everything they put not just me, but Sigmund, Garsir and Toothless through too. I feel – I need to be away from here for a very long while,"

Gobber immediately got a hint of where this was going. "You mean...? You're leaving,"

Sigmund and Garsir's eyes widened. Even Toothless's eyes widened a bit.

Hester didn't need to nod or shake her head; nor did she have to say an answer. It was clearly expressed in her eyes.

"No! You can't leave!" Gobber begged. "I know how much it has hurt you all these to be neglected and mistreated by everyone down there. But you're a hero to them. They want to see you. Admire you. Love and treat you the way you've always wanted,"

"I'm sorry Gobber," Hester shook her head. "But I can't do it. At least not now,"

"Hester, if you're going so am I," Sigmund voted himself to join in.

"So am I," Garsir volunteered too.

"No! Not you guys too!" Gobber begged his son and son like figure.

"Dad, where Hester goes, we go too," Garsir declared.

"I'm sorry Gobber. But we can't let Hester go all by herself with just Toothless," Sigmund forced himself to speak.

Gobber slouched down on a barrel and began to cry into his hand.

"We really are sorry Gobber," Hester apologised.

Gobber looked up. "At least take these with you," Gobber turned his back and picked up what he had bought and showed it to Hester. It was a rolled up red fin and a new saddle. "This is for Toothless. I took the precaution of forging a new one so you two could fly again. Along with the boys' help as well when I suggested it," He handed to an elated Hester.

"Thank you Gobber," she smiled at him. "Look bud,"

Toothless looked at his new saddle and fin. He immediately loved it. He jumped up and down for joy.

Hester strapped the new comfortable saddle to Toothless. Whilst she was strapping the rest of his riding gear and the new fin to his body and tail, Garsir and Sigmund went down to her house (when it was empty) and took a large number of Hester's clothes and items. They included: extra clothes, her everyday satchel, her journal, some drawing stationary and her picture book and the painting of them when they were kids.

They also went to their homes and packed a number of their items and clothes in baskets too. Sigmund made sure no one was in his house when he went to get his stuff.

When they came back, they strapped the packed-up baskets and a few blankets to the saddle. They ensured they weren't too heavy for Toothless to carry. Luckily, they weren't, for he was quite a strong dragon; even for his medium size. It was sunset and they were about to take off in a direction that would take them over the mountains and forest of the island. No one would see them leaving.

"No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you three," Gobber vowed. "Here Garsir – take this," he reached for his waist and took off a T-shaped bone.

"I can't take that," Garsir refused. "You've had since you were my age,"

"I know. But please take it," Gobber begged in tears. "So, a part of me is always with you,"

"Then take this," Garsir reached into one of the saddle-bags with his stuff inside and pulled out a small teddy bear. "This is what you stitched for me, remember?"

"Yeah. I remember that," Gobber sniffled his nose.

"Take it so a part of me is with you,"

The father and son couldn't hold back their emotions anymore. They shared a tearful tight hug goodbye.

Sigmund and Hester watched with sorrow in their eyes for Garsir.

Gobber and Garsir released each other and Gobber turned to Sigmund and Hester. They came forward and gave him a hug too. They loved him like a father, and he would always be in their hearts until they would return to Berk with his son and Toothless.

They unravelled their arms from Gobber.

"Gobber, please tell my family i love them," Sigmund requested. He would have gone down there himself. But right now it was Hester who needed him.

and they all hopped onto Toothless's back.

"You take care of them Toothless. Will you?" Gobber requested.

"**Of course," **Toothless wobbled in his dragon-tongue.

"He says: of course," Hester translated.

Gobber gave one tearful farewell nod. The three teens did the same. Hester patted Toothless and with a flap of his wings, Toothless took off into the clouds. Gobber's eyes were glued to the despairing departure until they disappeared.

Down below, the other teens were hanging out with their new dragons and each other. They heard footsteps approaching them and they saw Gobber carrying a scroll in his grip.

"Gobber!" Astrid called as they ran up to him. "Is everything all right?"

"Where are Hester, Garsir and my brother?" Fishlegs freaked.

"Isn't she alright?" Tuffnut asked.

"We want to see her!" Ruffnut moaned.

"What's with the tears?" Snotlout questioned.

Gobber couldn't say anything. He simply handed the scroll over to Astrid. She unrolled it and a second later, she gasped with shock.

"Astrid, what is it?" Fishlegs asked.

Astrid didn't answer. She just simply gave it to Fishlegs. She turned away in sadness. He quickly skim-read over it and was shocked too. He showed it to Snotlout and the twins.

"What's going on here?"

Stoick walked forward with some villagers. They held questioning looks as they noticed the despaired remorse faces of Gobber and the teens.

"What's happened?" Mrs. Ingerman asked.

"Where are Hester, Garsir and Sigmund?" Mr. Ingerman asked.

"Dad, they're gone," Fishlegs slowly and sadly blurted out.

"What?!" Stoick roared.

Snotlout and the twins handed him the letter. Stoick took it and he read it out loud.

_Dear Berkians and Chief Stoick, _

_By the time you read this, the boys and I will have taken off by now. I cannot stand on this island. It is filled with too many memories. None of you have any idea on how it feels to be disrespected and mistreated. Just because you're different. _

_Know this, I am not sure I can ever forgive you all for how you all disrespected me all these years. _

_The only thing I'm happy about is that Vikings and dragons are at peace at last. _

_There is something I wish for you all to know. Odin appeared to me in the clouds. Although deep inside my heart I didn't want, he told me I had to rise above my anger and hatred that I felt to nearly every one of you. That is what convinced me to come and save you all as well as see my better self. _

_I will return with the boys one day. Not sure if it will be soon. But one day I will. When I'm ready. _

_Hester. _

The Berkians were highly saddened once Stoick finished reading the letter. Even the teens were. Though shame dwelt inside their hearts and guts, hope filled a tiny void still unfilled by their shame. It seemed there was a chance Hester could forgive them. But for now, she wanted nothing to do with them. All she wanted now was to be out there with the boys who truly cared for her.

They prayed to Odin to protect the Trio and their Night Fury who they owed their lives to for saving Hester. And them too. They didn't know how long, but they felt in their hearts that one day they would be back here.

Stoick had more tears down his face. He really thought that today he could have a chance to talk with Hester. But it was too late. She wouldn't have wanted to see him anyway. He prayed to the gods that Hester would grant him forgiveness for being such a horrible terrible father.

"Oh Hester. Please come back soon," he prayed.

Through the high night sky, Toothless soared carrying his three passengers.

The night was beautiful with the pearly moon and the twinkly stars. The clouds still hanging above were so fluffy like cotton.

Hester had a smile upon her face as she felt the wind blowing in her hair.

"You okay Hester?" Sigmund asked.

"I'm more than okay Sigmund," Hester answered. "I feel FREE! Free at last from everything!"

"You're not the only one," Garsir added himself in. "I feel free too. Free from this war. Free from how unhappy it was back on Berk. Free from everything too!"

"It fills like we're finally free!" Sigmund chanted out to the sky.

"**You guys are the only ones," **Toothless wobbled.

Hester felt a song drawing up in her head. She began to sing out her song to her heart's content.

**Hester: **_Standing here, all the alone  
Yeah, the first step's the hardest when you're walking into the unknown_

**Garsir:** _It's been dark, and it's been cold_  
**Hester:** _Had our heads in the clouds never knowing when life would be fine_

**Sigmund:**_ Then we rose up to be our best selves  
Kept on using our hearts to be heroes_

**Hester:** _When you're all here right with me, there's nothing else I need  
_**Sigmund:**_ You all keep me reminded that nothing's out of reach  
_**Garsir:** _When you're all here, it feels like I'm finally free  
_**All:** _Feels like I'm finally free_

Toothless did slow loops in the air, then a falling drop before pulling back up above the clouds.

**Hester:** _I didn't know, didn't know what was real  
Had to go to the edge and the ground just to see how it feels_

**Sigmund: **_Then you spoke your truth with no secrets  
Told me use your heart while it's beating_

**Garsir:** _When you're all here beside me, there's nothing else I need  
_**Hester:** _Yeah, you all keep me reminded that nothing's out of reach  
_**Garsir:** _When you're with me, it feels like I'm finally free  
_

**Sigmund and Garsir:** _(Wo woo)  
_**Hester:**_ It feels like I'm finally free_

**Hester:**  
_I used to spend the nights looking at the stars  
Wondering what it would to like fly at night?  
I used to spend the days looking at the clouds  
Wondering what it would be like to up there?_

**Sigmund:** _But when you all here beside me there's nothing else I need_  
_Yeah, you all keep me reminded that nothing's out of reach_

**Garsir: **_It's easy to believe  
When you're all here it feels like I'm finally free  
_

**Sigmund:** _Oh yeah  
_**Garsir:** _It feels like I'm finally free  
_**All of them:** _(Wo woo) It feels like We're finally free_!

Off they headed into the night sky. One day they would return to Berk. But for now, they were enjoying the taste of freedom.

* * *

**Here's the end. One day they will return to Berk. Before you all jump to conclusions, there will be the TV series. There will be a couple of time differences to the movies but the story will be completely the same. **


	22. Note to say

**Note to say.**

**I do not own any of the songs in this story. **

**Waiting in the Wings was by Disney Channel **

**My precious one was by Celine Dion**

**Finally Free was by Nialll Horan **


End file.
